Sophocles, Antigone, 136

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Creon

631 Statim sciemus, quovis augure certius. O nate, num, auditis quae in sponsam decreta sunt, patri infensus ades,, an vero, quidquid egerimus, sumus tibi cari?

Antigone. Sophocles. Berlin. 1806.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) (Latin) (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει ¹

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 136 focus

ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐπ’ ἄλλοις ἐπενώμα στυφελίζων μέγας Ἄρης

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει,

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 136.mvp-line-136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει 3

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 136.mvp-line-136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 136 focus

βακχεύων ἐπέπνει

Translations (10)

German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 136 focus

KREON

Ein schnödes Ehweib für den Sohn ist Gräuel mir.

Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 136 focus

CREONTE

631 Pronto lo sabremos de él, mejor que de cualquier adivino. ¡Hijo!, ¿acaso, al enterarte del irrevocable decreto acerca de tu futura esposa, vienes rabioso contra tu padre, o soy de ti siempre querido de cualquier modo que proceda?

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 136 focus

CR
Enter HAEMON . 631

We shall know soon, better than seers could teach us.

Can it be so, my son, that thou art brought

By mad distemperature against thy sire,

On hearing of the irrevocable doom

Passed on thy promised bride? Or is thy love

Thy father’s, be his actions what they may?

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 134 focus

Niedergeschmettert zur dröhnenden Erde stürzt' er,

Welcher, bewehrt mit der Fackel, in trunk nem Wahnsinn,
135

In wuthathmendem Drang,

Wild herschnob mit feindlichem Sturm.

Doch es ging anders aus;

Andern beschied anderes Loos Ares, der Held, der die Bedrängten

Stürmend davontrieb.
140

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 136 focus

Creon

It will become thee with obedience thus

To bear thee ever, and in every act

To yield submissive to a father's will :

'Tis therefore, O my son ! that men do pray
640

For children who with kind officious duty
640

May guard their helpless age, resist their foes,

And like their parents love their parents' friend ;

But he who gets a disobedient child.

What doth he get but misery and woe ?

His enemies will laugh the wretch to scorn.

Take heed, my son, thou yield not up thy reason,

In hopes of pleasure from a worthless woman ;

For cold is the embrace of impious love,

And deep tlie wounds of false dissembled friendship.

Hate then thy bitterest foe, despise her arts,
645

And leave her to be wedded to the tomb.
645

Of all the city her alone I found

Rebellious ; but I have her, nor shall Thebes

Say I'm a liar : I pronounced her fate.

And she must perish. Let her call on Jove,

Who guards the rights of kindred and the ties

Of nature ; for if those b}; blood united

Transgress the laws, I hold myself more near

E'en to a stranger. Who in private Ufe

Is just and good, will to his country too

Be faithful ever ; but the man who, proud
650

And fierce of soul, contemns authority,
650

Despiseth justice, and o'er those who rule

Would have dominion, such shall never gain

Th' applauding voice of Creon. He alone,

Whom the consenting citizens approve

Th' acknowledged sovereign, should in all command.

Just or unjust his laws, in things of great

Or little import, whatsoe'er he bids :

A subject is not to dispute his will ;

He knows alike to rule and to obey ;

And in the day of battle will maintain
655

The foremost rank, his country's best defence.
655

Kebellion is the worst of human ills ;

This ruins kingdoms, this destroys the peace

Of noblest families, this wages war,

And puts the bmve to flight ; whilst fair obedience

Keeps all in safety. To preserve it ever

Should be a king's first care. We will not yield

To a weak woman ; if we must submit,

At least we will be conquered by a man,

Nor by a female arm thus fall inglorious.^J^
660

H^. Wisdom, my father, is the noblest giffcl
660

The gods bestow on man, and better far
660

Than all his treasures. Why thy judgment deems*

Most fit, I cannot, would not repreheitd.

Others perhaps might call it Avrong. For me,

My duty only bids me to inform you

If aught be done or said that casts reproach

Or blame on you. Such terror would thy looks

Strike on the low plebeian, that he dare not

Say aught unpleasing to thee ; be it mine

To tell thee then what I of late have heard
665

In secret whispered. Your afflicted people
665

United mourn th' unhappy virgin's fate
665

Unmerited, most wretched of her sex,

To die for deeds of such distinguished virtue,

For that she would not let a brother lie

Unburied, to the dogs and birds a prey ;

Was it not rather, say the murmuring crowd.

Worthy of golden honours and fair praise ?

Such are their dark and secret discontents.

Thy welfare and thy happiness alone

Are all my wish ; what can a child desire
670

More than a father's honour, or a father
670

More than his child's ? Oh ! do not then retain
670

Thy will, and still believe no sense but thine _

Can judge aright ! The man who proudly thinks 7

None but himself or eloquent, or wise, ^

By time betrayed, is branded for an idiot ; \

True wisdom will be ever glad to learn,

And not too fond of power. Observe the trees

That bend to wintry torrents, how their boughs

Unhurt remain, whilst those that brave the storm,

Uprooted torn, shall wither and decay ;
675

The pilot, whose unslackened sail defies
675

Contending winds, with shattered bark pursues
675

His dangerous course. Then mitigate thy wrath

My father, and give way to sweet repentance.

If to my youth be aught of judgment given,

He, who by knov/ledge and true wisdom's rules

F

ANTIGO.VE.

Guides every action, is the first of men ;

But since to few that happiness is given,

The next is he, who, not too proud to learn,
680

Follows the counsels of the wise and good,
680

Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 136 focus

CREONTE

En verdad que tú y el tal himeneo me van fatigando ya en demasía.

German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 136 focus

CHOR

Uns, wenn uns nicht im Finstern hält die Zeit,

Scheint das mit Sinn gesagt, wovon du redest.

English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 136 focus

Creon

631 We shall know soon, better than seers could tell us—My son, hearing the fixed doom of thy betrothed, art thou come in rage against thy father? Or have I thy good will, act how I may?

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 136 focus

Chorus
853

Thy daring was extreme, and thy offence

'Gainst the high throne of justice. O my child,

O'er thee some trespass of thy father hangs!***

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 162-330 focus

Enter Creon, with two attendants.

Creon

My fellow citizens! First, the gods, after tossing the fate of our city on wild waves, have once more righted it. Second, I have ordered you through my messengers to come here

apart from all the rest, because I knew, first of all, how constant was your reverence for the power of the throne of Laius; how, again, you were reverent, when Oedipus was guiding our city; and lastly, how, when he was dead, you still maintained loyal thoughts towards his children.
165

Since, then, these latter have fallen in one day by a twofold doom—each striking, each struck, both with the stain of a brother’s murder—I now possess all the power and the throne according to my kinship with the dead.
170

Now, it is impossible to know fully any man’s character, will, or judgment, until he has been proved by the test of rule and law-giving. For if anyone who directs the entire city does not cling to the best and wisest plans,
175

but because of some fear keeps his lips locked, then, in my judgment, he is and has long been the most cowardly traitor. And if any man thinks a friend more important than his fatherland, that man, I say, is of no account. Zeus, god who sees all things always, be my witness—
180

I would not be silent if I saw ruin, instead of safety, marching upon the citizens. Nor would I ever make a man who is hostile to my country a friend to myself, because I know this, that our country is the ship that bears us safe, and that only when
185

we sail her on a straight course can we make true friends. Such are the rules by which I strengthen this city. Akin to these is the edict which I have now published to the citizenry concerning the sons of Oedipus: Eteocles, who fell fighting
190

in behalf of our city and who excelled all in battle, they shall entomb and heap up every sacred offering that descends to the noblest of the dead below. But as for his brother, Polyneices, I mean, who on his return from exile wanted to burn to the ground
195

the city of his fathers and his race’s gods, and wanted to feed on kindred blood and lead the remnant into slavery—it has been proclaimed to the city that no one shall give him funeral honors or lamentation,
200

but all must leave him unburied and a sight of shame, with his body there for birds and dogs to eat. This is my will, and never will I allow the traitor to stand in honor before the just. But whoever has good will to Thebes ,
205

he shall be honored by me in death as in life.
210

211

Chorus

That is your will, Creon, towards this city’s enemy and its friend. And the power is yours, I believe, to make use of every law whatsoever, both concerning the dead and all us who live.

Creon

See, then, that you be guardians of my commands.
215

Chorus

Lay the weight of this task on some younger man.

Creon

That is not what I meant—the guards for the corpse are already in place.

Chorus

Then what is this other command that you would give?

Creon

That you not give way to the breakers of my commands.

Chorus

There is no one so foolish as to crave death.
220

Creon

I assure you, that is the wage for disobedience. Yet by just the hope of it, money has many times corrupted men.

Enter Guard.

Guard

My king, I will not say that I arrive breathless because of speed, or from the action of a swift foot.

For often I brought myself to a stop because of my thoughts, and wheeled round in my path to return. My mind was telling me many things: Fool, why do you go to where your arrival will mean your punishment? Idiot, are you dallying again? If Creon learns it from another, must you not suffer for it?
225

So debating, I made my way unhurriedly, slow, and thus a short road was made long. At last, however, the view prevailed that I should come here—to you. Even if my report brings no good, still will I tell you,
230

since I come with a good grip on one hope, that I can suffer nothing except what is my fate.
235

237

Creon

And what is it that so disheartens you?

Guard

I want to tell you first about myself—I did not do the deed, nor did I see the doer,

so it would be wrong that I should come to any harm.
240

Creon

Like a bowman you aim well at your target from a distance, and all around you hedge yourself off well from the deed. It is clear that you have some unheard-of thing to tell.

Guard

That I do, for terrible news imposes great hesitation.

Creon

Then tell it, will you, and so unburdened go away?

Guard

Well, here it is. The corpse—some one has just given it burial and disappeared after sprinkling thirsty dust on the flesh and performing the other rites that piety demands.
245

Creon

What are you saying? What man dared do this?

Guard

I do not know. For there was no scar of a pickax to be seen there,

no earth thrown up by a mattock. The ground was hard and dry, unbroken, not rolled over by wheels. The doer was someone who left no trace. When the first day-watchman showed it to us, a discomforting amazement fell on us all.
250

The dead man was veiled from us—not shut within a tomb, but a light cover of dust was on him, as if put there by the hand of one who shunned a curse. And no sign was visible that any beast of prey or any dog had approached or torn him. Then evil words flew thick and loud among us,
255

guard accusing guard. It would even have come to blows in the end, nor was there anyone there to prevent it: every man was the culprit, and no one was plainly guilty, while all disclaimed knowledge of the act. We were ready to take red-hot iron in our hands,
260

to walk through fire and to swear oaths by the gods that we had neither done the deed, nor shared knowledge of the planning or the doing. At last, when our investigating got us nowhere, someone spoke up and made us all bend our faces
265

in fear towards the earth. For we did not know how we could argue with him, nor yet prosper, if we did what he said. His argument was that the deed must be reported to you and not hidden. This view prevailed, and so it was that
270

the lot doomed miserable me to win this prize. So here I stand, as unwelcome to you as I am unwilling, I well know. For no man delights in the bearer of bad news.
275

278

Chorus

My king, my thoughts have long been deliberating whether this deed is somehow the work of gods?

Creon

Quiet, before your words truly fill me with rage, so that you not be found at the same time foolish as well as old. You say what is intolerable when you claim that the gods have concern for that corpse. Was it in high esteem for his benefactions
280

that they sought to hide him, when he had come to burn their columned shrines, their sacred treasures and their land, and scatter its laws to the winds? Or do you see the gods honoring the wicked? It cannot be. No! From the very first
285

certain men of the city were chafing at this edict and muttering against me, tossing their heads in secret, and they did not keep their necks duly under the yoke in submission to me. By those men, I am certain, they were led astray and bribed to do this deed.
290

Nothing so evil as money ever grew to be current among men. This destroys cities, this drives men from their homes, this trains and warps honest minds to set themselves to works of shame,
295

this teaches people to practise villainies, and to know every act of unholiness. But all the men who did this job for hire have made sure that, sooner or later, they shall suffer the punishment. Now, as Zeus still has my reverence, know this well—
300

I tell you on my oath. If you do not find the very hand that made this burial, and reveal him before my eyes, mere death shall not suffice for you, not before, hung up alive, you have made this outrage plain,
305

so that hereafter you may thieve with better knowledge of where your money should be received from, and learn that it is best not to be fond of money-making from any and every source. For you will find that ill-gotten gains bring more men to ruin than to safety.
310

315

Guard

Will you allow me to speak? Or shall I just turn and go?
315

Creon

Do you not know even now how much your voice sickens me?

Guard

Is the pain in your ears, or in your soul?

Creon

And why would you define the seat of my pain?

Guard

He who did it hurts your heart, but I, your ears.

Creon

God! How plain it is that you are a born babbler.
320

Guard

Perhaps, but never the author of this action.

Creon

Yes, and what is more, you sold your life for silver.

Guard

Ah! It is truly sad when the judge judges wrong .

Creon

Expound on judgment as you will. But, if you fail to

show me the perpetrators of these crimes, you will avow that money basely earned wreaks sorrows. Exit Creon.
325

Guard

Well, may the man be found! That would be best. But, whether he be caught or not—for fortune must decide that—I assure you that you will not see me come here again.

Saved just now beyond hope and belief, I owe the gods great thanks. Exit the Guard.
330

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-163-1 τί δὲ ¹ τί δαὶ ²

mvp-comment-163-2 ῥυθμίζεις ³ ὅπου ⁴ ὅπου ⁵

mvp-comment-164-1 τὰς φρένας...τὰ δ’ ὦτ’ ⁶ σε ⁷

mvp-comment-164-2 οἴμ’ ὡς ⁸

mvp-comment-164-3 λάλημα ⁹ ἄλημα ¹⁰ ἄλημα ¹¹

mvp-comment-164-4 δῆλον, ¹²

mvp-comment-165-1 ‘At any rate (

οὖν

—babbler or not) I certainly have not done this deed.’ εἰμί ¹³ οὔκουν … γε ¹⁴

mvp-comment-166-1 ‘Yes, (you have done it,) and that, too, at the cost of betraying,’ etc. The particle γε ¹⁵ καὶ ταῦτα ¹⁶ προδούς ¹⁷

mvp-comment-167-1 ἦ δεινόν ¹⁸ καὶ ¹⁹ γε ²⁰

mvp-comment-168-1 κόμψευε . . τὴν δόξαν ²¹

mvp-comment-168-2 τὴν δόξαν ²²

mvp-comment-168-3

κληδόν’

(the

κληδών

of which you speak), not merely, ‘the word

δόξα

.’ If the v. l.

τὸ δόξαν

(see cr. n.) was intended to mean the latter, it should have been

τὸ δόξα.

mvp-comment-168-4 νυν ²³ νῦν ²⁴ ταῦτα … τοὺς δρῶντας = τοὺς ταῦτα δρῶντας ²⁵

mvp-comment-169-1 δειλά ²⁶

mvp-comment-169-2 δεινά ²⁷ ν ²⁸

mvp-comment-170-1 ἀλλ’ ²⁹ εὑρεθείη ³⁰ καὶ ³¹

mvp-comment-171-1 καὶ ³² γάρ ³³

mvp-comment-171-2 γνώμης ³⁴

mvp-comment-173-1 πολλὰ … κοὐδέν ³⁵

mvp-comment-173-2 καί ³⁶

mvp-comment-173-3 τὰ δεινά ³⁷

mvp-comment-174-1 τοῦτο ³⁸ πέραν ³⁹ πέρα ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-175-1 χειμερίῳ νότῳ ⁴¹

mvp-comment-176-1 περιβρ … ὑπ’ οἴδμασιν ⁴²

mvp-comment-177-1 ὑπερτάταν ⁴³

mvp-comment-178-1 ἀκαμάταν ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-178-2 ἀποτρύεται ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-179-1 ἰλλομένων ἀρότρων, ⁴⁶ ἀρότων ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-179-2 ἔτος εἰς ἔτος ⁴⁸ εἰς ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-180-1 ἱππείῳ γένει ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-180-2 πολεύων ⁵¹ τοῦτο ⁵²

mvp-comment-181-1 Man's conquests over the animal world are here taken in two groups. First, those of which the primary aim is to kill or to capture. Here the means is netting (

ἀμφιβαλὼν σπείραισι δικτυοκλώστοις

), in its threefold sporting use, as applied to fowling (

ὀρνίθων

), hunting (

θηρῶν

), and fishing (

πόντου φύσιν

). Secondly, those conquests which aim at reducing wild animals to man's service. These are effected by

μηχαναί

(349),— arts of taming and training. And their result is aptly expressed by the word

mvp-comment-181-2

κρατεῖ

: here, man is not merely the slayer or captor; he becomes the master of docile toilers. The horse and the bull are types.

mvp-comment-181-3 Thus, in this ode, the scale of achievement ever ascends: man (1) conquers inanimate nature: (2) makes animals his captives: (3) trains them to be his servants: (4) develops his own social and intellectual life.

mvp-comment-181-4 κουφονόων ⁵³

mvp-comment-181-5 ἀμφιβαλὼν ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-182-1 πόντου … εἰναλίαν φύσιν ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-183-1 περιφραδής ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-184-1 μηχαναῖς ⁵⁷ ἀγραύλου ⁵⁸ ὀρεσσιβάτα ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-185-1 λασιαύχενά θ’ ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-186-1 ὀχμάζεται ⁶¹ ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῶν ⁶²

mvp-comment-186-2 Rhod. 1. 743

κυρίως ἐστὶν ὀχμάσαι τὸ ἵππον ὑπὸ χαλινὸν ἀγαγεῖν ἢ ὑπὸ ζυγόν

. The midd. voice does not occur elsewhere; but this cannot be regarded as an objection, when we remember how many rare middle forms occur in the dramatists. Thus

προσορωμένα

in O. C. 244 is a solitary example of that verb in the midd., and if the license could be taken with so common a word, much more might it be allowed with a comparatively rare one. Blaydes writes

ὀχμάζει ὑπ’ ἀμφίλοφον ζυγόν

: but the Ms.

ἕξεται

indicates that the verb, whatever it was, was of the midd. form.

ὀχμάζεται

was published by G. Schöne in 1833, and by Franz in 1846: they appear to have made the conjecture independently. Donaldson (1848) printed

ὁχμάζεται ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῶν

, and seems to ascribe

ζυγῶν

to Franz and Schöne; though Franz, at least, proposed

ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῷ. ζυγῶν

has been revived (seemingly without knowledge of a predecessor) by H. Schütz (1886). Sophocles would write

ΑΜΦΙΛΟΦΟΝΖΥΓΟΝ

, and thus

ζυγῶν

changes no letter. Aesch. used the fut.

ζυγώσω

(fr. 110), and Soph. has the verbal

ζυγωτῶν

( El. 702 ). To

ἀμφιλόφῳ ζυγῷ

it may be objected that, being clear, it was not likely to become -

ον ‐όν

: but, when

ἀμφίλοφον

had once been written,

ζυγῶν

(or

ζυγῷ

) would easily become

ζυγόν

. As to the schol. on

ἀμφίλοφον,—ἀντὶ τοῦ, περιβαλὼν αὐτῷ ζυγὸν περὶ τὸν λόφον, ὑπάγει

,—it cannot fairly be urged for

ζυγῶν

(or for any partic.), since it may be merely a paraphrase of

ἀμφίλοφον

.—Schütz's ἐφέζεται ⁶³

mvp-comment-187-1 φθέγμα ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-187-2 beginnings of speech...Speech is the development, through imitation, of a capacity of man—the capacity of making a noise.’ This is quite compatible with

ἐδιδάξατο.

mvp-comment-187-3 ἀνεμόεν φρόνημα ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-188-1 ἀστυνόμους ὀργάς ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-189-1 ἐδιδάξατο ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-190-1 πάγων ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-190-2 ἐναίθρεια ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-190-3 βέλη ⁷¹

mvp-comment-191-1 παντοπόρος ⁷²

mvp-comment-191-2

οὐδὲν … τὸ μέλλον = οὐδὲν ὃ μέλλει

(

ἔσεσθαι

), nothing that is to be (cp. the absolute

τὸ μέλλον, τὰ μέλλοντα

). So Plat. Lach. 197 A

ἔγωγε ἀνδρεῖα καλῶ οὔτε θηρία οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν τὸ τὰ δεινὰ ὑπὸ ἀγνοίας μὴ φοβούμενον = οὐδὲν ὃ μὴ φοβεῖται

. This negative form is as correct as (though actually rarer than) the positive

πᾶν τὸ καλῶς ἔχον

( Plat. Rep. 381A ) for

πᾶν ὃ καλῶς ἔχει

. Donaldson took

τὸ μέλλον

adverbially: ‘in regard to the future, he comes to nothing without resources.’ Cp. 728 ,

μηδὲν τὸ μὴ δίκαιον

, where

μηδέν

is subst., not adv.

mvp-comment-192-1 μόνον ⁷³ μόνου ⁷⁴ φεῦξιν — ἐπάξεται ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-193-1 ἀμηχάνων ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-193-2 φυγάς ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-193-3 ξυμπέφρασται ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-194-1 The ode closes with a more direct reference to the incident which suggested its theme. The daring ingenuity shown by the unknown breaker of Creon's edict is an instance of the subtlety which leads to ruin. The implied contrast with Creon—

ὑψίπολις

by his care for the laws—is effective in view of the destined

περιπέτεια

mvp-comment-194-2 σοφόν τι … ἔχων ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-194-3 τὸ μηχανόεν τ ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-195-1 τοτὲ μὲν … ἄλλοτ’ ⁸¹

mvp-comment-195-2 ἐπ’ ⁸²

mvp-comment-196-1 γεραίρων ⁸³

mvp-comment-196-2 5. 67

ἐτίμων τὸν Ἄδρηστον καὶ δὴ πρὸς τὰ πάθεα αὐτοῦ τραγικοῖσι χοροῖσι ἐγέραιρον

. Ar. Th. 960

γένος Ὀλυμπίων θεῶν | μέλπε καὶ γέραιρε φωνῇ

mvp-comment-197-1 θεῶν τ’ ἔνορκον δίκαν ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-198-1 ὑψίπολις ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-198-2 ἄπολις ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-198-3 τὸ μὴ καλόν ⁸⁷ τόλμας χάριν ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-199-1 παρέστιος ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-199-2 ἴσον φρονῶν ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-200-1 ἔρδει ⁹¹ ἔρδοι ⁹²

mvp-comment-202-1 The choral ode has closed with an allusion to the unknown man ( ὅς ⁹³ ἀμφινοῶ ⁹⁴ ἐς ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-202-2 δαιμόνιον τέρας ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-203-1 πῶς εἰδὼς ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-203-2 ἀντιλογήσω ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-204-1 ὦ δύστηνος ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-204-2 δ. πατρός ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-204-3 Οἰδιπόδα— ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-205-1 τί ποτ’ ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-205-2 οὐ δή που ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-205-3 ἀπιστοῦσαν ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-205-4 ἄγουσι ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-205-5 colloquialism, it would be nearly as bad as, ‘Have they taken you up?’

mvp-comment-205-6 καὶ ¹⁰⁶ ἀπιστοῦσαν ¹⁰⁷ καθελόντες ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-206-1 Second

ἐπεισόδιον

. Antigone, brought before Creon, avows and justifies her deed. Creon declares that she shall die. Ismene, when led in (531), associates herself with the act, but is not permitted by her sister to claim any part in it. Creon orders that both sisters shall be kept prisoners.

mvp-comment-206-2 ἐκείνη ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-206-3 τοὔργον ἡ ’ξειργ ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-207-1 ἐς δέον ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-208-1 ξύμμετρος ¹¹²

mvp-comment-209-1 ἀπώμοτον ¹¹³

mvp-comment-210-1 ψεύδει ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-210-2 ἡ ’πίνοια ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-211-1 ἐξηύχουν ἄν ¹¹⁶ σχολῇ ἥξειν ποτὲ δεῦρο ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-211-2 σχολῇ ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-212-1 ταῖς σαῖς ἀπειλαῖς ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-212-2 ἐχειμάσθην ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-213-1 ἡ...ἐκτὸς ¹²¹ ἐκτός ¹²²

mvp-comment-214-1 οὐδὲν ἔοικε μῆκος ¹²³ α+λλῃ ἡδονῇ ¹²⁴ οὐδέν ¹²⁵ μῆκος ¹²⁶ ἔοικε ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-215-1 δῑ ὅρκων … ἀπώμοτος ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-216-1 καθῃρέθη ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-216-2 τάφον κοσμοῦσα ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-216-3 ἐπάλλετο ¹³¹ ἕρμαιον ¹³²

mvp-comment-217-1 κρῖνε ¹³³

mvp-comment-217-2 δίκαιός εἰμι ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-217-3 ἀπηλλάχθαι ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-218-1 Observe the order of the words as marking his amazement. For the double interrog. cp. Il. 21.150

τίς πόθεν ει<*>=ς ἀνδρῶν

; Ph. 243

τίνι | στόλῳ προσέσχες τήνδε γῆν, πόθεν πλέων;

mvp-comment-218-2 πάντ’ ἐπίστασαι ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-219-1 ἦ καὶ ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-219-2 ὀρθῶς ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-219-3 mean to say? (Not, merely, ‘truly,’ i.e. in accordance with the fact: cp. 99 n.)

mvp-comment-220-1 τὸν νεκρόν ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-221-1 ἆρ’ ἔνδηλα ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-222-1 ὁρᾶται...ᾑρέθη ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-222-2 ἐπίληπτος ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-223-1 ἥκομεν ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-224-1 τὰ δείν’ ἐκεῖν’ ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-224-2 τὸν | νέκυν ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-225-1 καθήμεθ’ ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-225-2 ἄκρων ἐκ πάγων ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-225-3

ἐξ Οὐλύμποιο ἀπὸ ῥίου

. Here,

ἀπὸ ῥίου

goes with

εἰσεῖδε

: but

ἐξ Οὐλύμποιο

, however much

εἰσεῖδε

may have influenced it, at least cannot be disjoined from

στᾶσ’

. (2) Eur. Phoen. 1009

ἀλλ’ εἶμι καὶ στὰς ἐξ ἐπάλξεων ἄκρων | σφάξας ἐμαυτὸν σηκὸν εἰς μελαμβαθῆ | δράκοντος, ἔνθ’ ὁ μάντις ἐξηγήσατο, | ἐλευθερώσω γαῖαν

. It is impossible to sever

στάς

from

ἐξ ἐπ.

, even if we partly explain

ἐξ

σφάξας

. (3) ib. 1224

Ἐτεοκλέης δ’ ὑπῆρξ’ ἀπ’ ὀρθίου σταθεὶς | πύργου κελεύσας σῖγα κηρῦξαι στρατῷ

. The position of

σταθείς

forbids us to sever it from

ἀπ’ ὀρθ. π.

, even though

ὑπῆρξε

κελεύσας

is used to explain

ἀπό

. (4) Eur. Tro. 522

ἀνὰ δ’ ἐβόασεν λεὼς | Τρῳάδος ἀπὸ πέτρας σταθείς

. A similar case. In all these passages, a picture is presented, and we have to glance from a remoter to a nearer object. The mental eye is required to measure the space between Hera on the peak of Olympus, and Poseidon on the plain of Troy; between Megareus on the walls of Thebes, and the cavern into which his corpse is to fall. And, in each case,

ἐκ

ἀπό

denotes the quarter in which the remoter object is to be looked for. This, which might be called the ‘surveying’ use, is distinct from that in which the prep. has a pregnant force, as being directly suggestive of motion (

οἱ ἐκ Σικελίας ἥξουσι

); but it springs from the same mental tendency,—viz., to take a rapid glance over the dividing interval. Cp.

ἵστασθαι πρός τινος

(‘on his side’). So here: in the foreground of the picture is the corpse, which they have just laid bare. Now look to the hillocks behind it; in that quarter you will see the guards at their post.—I have not cited Od. 21.419

τόν ῥ’ ἐπὶ πήχει ἑλὼν ἕλκεν νευρὴν γλυφίδας τε | αὐτόθεν ἐκ δίφροιο καθήμενος

, because there

ἐκ δίφροιο

goes with

ἕλκεν

, not with

καθήμενος

(he drew the bow, just from the chair, where he sat).

mvp-comment-225-4 ὑπήνεμοι ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-226-1 βάλῃ ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-227-1 ἐγερτί ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-227-2 κινῶν ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-227-3 ἐπιρρόθοις κακοῖσιν ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-227-4 the adj. expressing the loud, continuous noise of tongues. The

ἐπι

- does not mean ‘bandied to and fro’: see Tr. 263

πολλὰ μὲν λόγοις | ἐπερρόθησε

. In fr. 521

ἐπίρροθα δώματα

=‘open to reproach.’ Elsewhere (as with Aesch.)

ἐπίρροθος

= ‘helper’ (

ἐπιρροθέω

, to come with shouts to the rescue). Cp.

ἐρρόθουν

259 n., Aesch. 290.

mvp-comment-228-1 ἀκηδήσοι ¹⁵⁴ ἀφειδήσοι ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-229-1 The incident of the storm was a dramatic necessity, to account for Antigone reaching the corpse unobserved. A powerful picture is compressed into seven lines. (Cp. O. C. 1315 ff. for a like instance of self-restraint in description.)

mvp-comment-230-1 κατέστη ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-230-2 χθονὸς ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-231-1 τυφώς ¹⁵⁸ σκηπτός ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-231-2 οὐράνιον ἄχος ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-232-1 πίμπλησι ¹⁶¹ αἰκίζων ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-232-2 ἐν δ’ ἐμεστ ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-233-1 μύσαντες ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-233-2 νόσον ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-233-3 ἐν χρ. μακρ ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-234-1 πικρᾶς ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-235-1 εὐνῆς...λέχος ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-236-1 οὕτω δέ ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-236-2 ψιλόν ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-237-1 γόοισιν ἐξῴμωξεν ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-237-2 ἐκ δ’ … ἠρᾶτο ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-237-3 διψίαν ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-238-1 φέρει κόνιν ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-239-1 The πρόχους ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-239-2 εὐκρότητος ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-239-3 ἄρδην ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-240-1 χοαῖσι ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-240-2 τρισπόνδ. ¹⁷⁹ στέφει ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-241-1 ἱέμεσθα ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-241-2 σὺν δὲ … θηρώμεθ’ ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-242-1 ἠλέγχομεν ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-242-2 ἄπαρνος … οὐδενός ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-242-3 καθίστατο ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-243-1 ἅμ’ ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-244-1 φίλους ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-245-1 πάντα ταῦθ’ ¹⁸⁸ λαβεῖν ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-246-1 σὲ δή, ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-247-1 φὴς δεδρακέναι, ἢ καταρνεῖ μὴ δεδρ ¹⁹¹ καταρνεῖ ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-248-1 καὶ......κοὐκ ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-248-2 τὸ μή ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-249-1 σὺ μέν ¹⁹⁵ κομίζοις ἂν ς ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-249-2 ἔξω ¹⁹⁷ β. αἰτίας ¹⁹⁸ ἐλεύθερον ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-250-1 μῆκος ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-251-1 ᾔδησθα ²⁰¹ ᾔδης τὰ ²⁰² σθα ²⁰³

mvp-comment-251-2 κηρυχθέντα ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-252-1 ᾔδη ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-252-2 τί δ’ οὐκ ἔμελλον ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-252-3 ἐμφανῆ ²⁰⁷ ἐκφανῆ ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-253-1 καὶ δῆτ’ ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-254-1 Ζεύς ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-255-1 τῶν κάτω θεῶν ²¹¹ ξύνοικος ²¹² τοιούσδ’ … ὥρισεν ²¹³ οἳ τούσδ’ … ὥρισαν ²¹⁴ τάδε ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-256-1 ἄγραπτα … νόμιμα ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-256-2 quotes vv. 456 f.) Cp. O.T. 865 ff.

νόμοι... | ὑψίποδες, οὐρανίαν | δἰ αἰθέρα τεκνωθέντες

, with notes there. Thuc. 2.37 (

νόμοι

)

ὅσοι ἄγραφοι ὄντες αἰσχύνην ὁμολογουμένην φέρουσι

. When ‘the unwritten laws’ are thus called

νόμοι

, the latter word is used figuratively. νόμιμα ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-256-3 ἀσφαλῆ ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-256-4 θνητὸν ὄντ’ ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-256-5 ὑπερδραμεῖν ²²⁰

mvp-comment-257-1 νῦν γε κἀχθές ²²¹

mvp-comment-257-2 ζῇ ²²²

mvp-comment-257-3 ’φάνη ²²³

mvp-comment-258-1 τούτων ²²⁴ τὴν δίκην ²²⁵ τούτων ²²⁶

mvp-comment-258-2 shows that, like

ταῦτα

just before, it refers to the

νόμιμα

: we cannot, therefore, render, ‘the penalty of such an act’ ( sc.

τοῦ ὑπερδραμεῖν

mvp-comment-258-3 ἐν θεοῖσι ²²⁷

mvp-comment-259-1 δώσειν ²²⁸

mvp-comment-259-2 θανουμένη γάρ ²²⁹

mvp-comment-259-3 τί δ’ οὔ ²³⁰

mvp-comment-260-1 κεἰ μὴ σὺ προὐκήρυξας ²³¹

mvp-comment-260-2 τοῦ χρόνου ²³²

mvp-comment-260-3 αὔτ’ ²³³

mvp-comment-261-1 φέρει ²³⁴

mvp-comment-262-1 Kvičala and Wecklein reject these four verses, despairing of the difficulties found in vv. 466, 467, which have been variously amended; see Appendix. The alleged difficulties are, (1)

παρ’ οὐδὲν ἄλγος

: (2) the mention of the mother only: (3) the position of

θανόντ’

, which might suggest the sense, ‘slain by my mother’: (4)

ηἰσχόμην

(as L has it). Before dealing with these points, I would call attention to a trait which the impugners of these verses have overlooked, and which speaks strongly for the genuineness of the passage as a whole, corrupt though it be in certain words. That trait is the clause τοῖσδε δ’ οὐκ ἀλγύνομαι ²³⁵

mvp-comment-263-1 ἄλγος ²³⁶ παρ’ οὐδέν ²³⁷

mvp-comment-263-2 adv.: ‘is a pain in no appreciable degree,’ is a pain not worth a thought: as he might have said,

οὐδαμοῦ ἄλγος ἐστί

. The normal use of

παρ’ οὐδέν

, ‘of no account,’ is either ( a) with the verb

εἶναι

, as O. T. 982

ταῦθ’ ὅτῳ | παρ’ οὐδέν ἐστι

, or ( b) with a verb meaning ‘to esteem,’ as above, v. 34,

τὸ πρᾶγμ’ ἄγειν | οὐχ ὡς παρ’ οὐδέν

. The only peculiarity here is that, instead of a word in the general sense, ‘ is esteemed’ (

ἄγεται

), we have a virtual equivalent, tinged with the special thought of the moment, viz., ‘ is a pain.’ Exactly so in El. 1327 we have

πότερα παρ’ οὐδὲν τοῦ βίου κήδεσθ’ ἔτι

, instead of

πότερα παρ’ οὐδὲν τὸν βίον ἄγετε

. Thus the suspicions as to the genuineness of

παρ’ οὐδὲν ἄλγος

are illusory.

mvp-comment-263-3 ἀλλ’ ἄν ²³⁸

mvp-comment-264-1 ἄθαπτον ἠνσχόμην νέκυν ²³⁹ ηἰσχόμην ²⁴⁰ ἠνσχόμην ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-264-2 In my first edition I placed in the text the emendation of Semitelos (1887) ᾔσχυναν κύνες ²⁴²

mvp-comment-264-3 Other emendations will be found in the Appendix. Most of them assume that we must have

ἠνεσχόμην

(or

ἀνεσχόμην

), and therefore alter the words

θανόντ’ ἄθαπτον

and

νέκυν

in various ways, —usu. omitting

νέκυν

. The verses produced by these processes are wretched, while, from a palaeographical point of view, they are pure conjectures, which do not attempt to account for the tradition in L.—Two points remain. (1) τὸν ἐξ ἐμῆς | μητρός ²⁴³

mvp-comment-264-4 or

μιᾶς

(Meineke). (2) τὸν ἐξ ἐμ. | μητρος θανόντ’ ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-265-1 σχεδόν τι ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-265-2 μώρῳ μωρίαν ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-265-3 ὀφλισκάνω ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-266-1 These two verses give a moment of stillness before the storm breaks forth. So at O. T. 404 four verses of the chorus divide the angry speech of Oedipus from the retort of Teiresias.

mvp-comment-266-2 τὸ γέννημα τῆς παιδός ²⁴⁸ δηλοῖ ²⁴⁹ ὠμόν ²⁵⁰ ἐξ ὠμοῦ πατρός ²⁵¹ γέννημα ²⁵²

mvp-comment-267-1 εἴκειν … κακοῖς ²⁵³

mvp-comment-268-1 ἀλλ’ ἴσθι τοι ²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-268-2 πίπτειν ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-269-1 ὀπτὸν … περισκελῆ ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-269-2 περισκελής ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-269-3 ἐκ πυρός ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-270-1 θραυσθέντα καὶ ῥαγέντα ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-271-1 χαλινῷ δ’ ²⁶⁰ σμικρῷ ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-271-2 καταρτυθέντας ²⁶²

mvp-comment-272-1 Suspicion has fallen on ἐκπέλει ²⁶³

mvp-comment-272-2 ὅστις ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-272-3 τῶν πέλας ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-273-1 αὕτη δ’ ²⁶⁶ ὑβρίζειν μὲν … ὕβρις δ’ ²⁶⁷ ἐξηπίστατο ²⁶⁸ τότ’ ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-273-2 τούτοις ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-273-3 δεδρακυῖαν γελᾶν ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-274-1 νῦν ²⁷²

mvp-comment-274-2 εἰ ταῦτα … κράτη ²⁷³ κράτη ²⁷⁴ κείσεται ²⁷⁵ πείσεται ²⁷⁶ ἀνατί ²⁷⁷ ταῦτα ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-275-1 ἀδελφῆς ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-275-2 εἴθ’ ὁμαιμονεστέρα ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-275-3 Hyperbole is congenial to Creon's excitement; cp. 1040 . But the addition,

τοῦ παντὸς Ζ. ἑρκείου

, ill suits this, while, on the other hand, it agrees well with the nom.

ὁμαιμονεστέρα

. On the whole, then, I incline to prefer the nom.; but the point is a nice one, and the gen. is quite tenable.

mvp-comment-275-4 κυρεῖ ²⁸¹

mvp-comment-276-1 τοῦ παντὸς Ζηνὸς ἑρκείου ²⁸²

mvp-comment-277-1 ἀλύξετον ²⁸³ μόρου ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-278-1 καὶ γὰρ οὖν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-278-2 ἐπαιτιῶμαι κείνην ²⁸⁶ βουλεῦσαι ἴσον τοῦδε τάφου ²⁸⁷ ἴσον ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-278-3 βουλεῦσαι ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-279-1 καί νιν καλεῖτ’ ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-280-1 λυσσῶσαν … οὐδ’ ἐπ ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-280-2 ἐπήβολον ²⁹²

mvp-comment-281-1 ὁ θυμὸς τῶν … τεχνωμένων ²⁹³ φιλεῖ κλοπεὺς ᾑρῆσθαι ²⁹⁴ πρόσθεν ²⁹⁵ κλοπεύς ²⁹⁶ ᾑρῆσθαι κλοπεύς ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-281-2 τεχνωμένων ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-282-1 γε μέντοι ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-282-2 Ismene's guilty terror is contrasted with Antigone's impudent hardihood,—as Creon deems it. μισῶ … ὅταν ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-282-3 ἔπειτα ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-282-4 καλλύνειν ³⁰²

mvp-comment-283-1 θέλεις τι μεῖζον ³⁰³

mvp-comment-283-2 ἑλών ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-283-3 ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδέν ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-283-4 ἅπαντ’ ἔχω ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-284-1 ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-284-2 μηδ’ ἀρεσθείη ³⁰⁸ ἀρεσθείην ³⁰⁹ ἀρέστ’ εἴη ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-285-1 τἀμά ³¹¹

mvp-comment-285-2 ἔφυ ³¹²

mvp-comment-286-1 καίτοι ³¹³ κλέος … εὐκλεέστερον ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-287-1 ἐν τάφῳ τιθεῖσα ³¹⁵ τούτοις πᾶσι λέγοιτο ἄν ³¹⁶ τοῦτο ἁνδάνειν ³¹⁷ ἐγκλῄοι ³¹⁸

mvp-comment-288-1 ἀλλ’ ἡ τυραννίς ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-289-1 μούνη ³²⁰

mvp-comment-289-2 τοῦτο … ὁρᾷς ³²¹

mvp-comment-289-3 ὑπίλλουσιν ³²²

mvp-comment-290-1 σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἐπαιδεῖ ³²⁴

mvp-comment-291-1 ὅμαιμος ³²⁵

mvp-comment-291-2 ἐκ μιᾶς τε ³²⁶ τε ³²⁷

mvp-comment-292-1 πῶς δῆτ’ ³²⁸

mvp-comment-292-2 ἐκείνῳ ³²⁹

mvp-comment-292-3 χάριν ³³⁰ τιμᾷς ³³¹ ὁ κατθανὼν νέκυς ³³²

mvp-comment-293-1 εἴ τοι ³³³ σφε ³³⁴

mvp-comment-293-2 ἐξ ἴσου ³³⁵

mvp-comment-294-1 οὐ γάρ τι δοῦλος ³³⁶

mvp-comment-294-2 cannot complain, for Polyneices was not his slave—his natural inferior—but his brother, and had the same claim on me that he had. Creon insists on the difference between the loyal man and the disloyal. Antigone dwells on the fact that both men had the same claim on her natural piety, and (519) on her sense of religious duty.

mvp-comment-295-1 πορθῶν δέ ³³⁷

mvp-comment-295-2 ὁ δ’ ³³⁸ ὕπερ ³³⁹

mvp-comment-296-1 τούτους ³⁴⁰ ἴσους ³⁴¹ ἴσους ³⁴² ὅμως ³⁴³ ἴσους ³⁴⁴ τούτους ³⁴⁵ ἴσους ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-297-1 The MS. λαχεῖν ἴσος ³⁴⁷ ἴσους ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-298-1 κάτωθεν ³⁴⁹ κάτω ’στὶν ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-298-2 εὐαγῆ ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-299-1 οὔτοι συνέχθειν ³⁵²

mvp-comment-300-1 νυ^ν ³⁵³

mvp-comment-301-1 καὶ μὴν ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-301-2 εἰβομένη ³⁵⁵ κάτω ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-301-3 with

εἴβειν

, for Homer never says

κατὰ δάκρυα λείβειν

. Nothing is more natural than that

εἰβομένη

should have become

λειβομένη

in the MSS., the latter word being much the commoner.

mvp-comment-301-4 κάτω ³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-302-1 νεφέλη δ’ ὀφρύων ὕπερ ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-302-2 αἱματόεν ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-302-3 ῥέθος ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-302-4 αἰσχύνει ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-303-1 σὺ δ’ ³⁶² ὑφειμένη ³⁶³

mvp-comment-303-2 ἔχιδνα ³⁶⁴

mvp-comment-303-3

ἡ ἔχιδνα ἐν τῇ συνουσίᾳ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκόπτει. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ τέκνα, ὥσπερ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ πατρὸς μετερχόμενα, τὴν γαστέρα τῆς μητρὸς διαρρήγνυσιν

. (Cp. Shaksp. Per. 1. 1. 64

I am no viper, yet I feed On mother's flesh.

)

mvp-comment-304-1 λήθουσά μ’ ἐξέπινες ³⁶⁵

mvp-comment-305-1 ἄτα κἀπαναστάσεις ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-305-2 ἐπαναστάσεις ³⁶⁷ θρόνων ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-306-1 τὸ μὴ ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-307-1 ὁμορροθεῖ ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-308-1 τῆς αἰτίας ³⁷¹ ξυμμετίσχω ³⁷² φέρω ³⁷³

mvp-comment-309-1 ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐάσει σ’ ³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-309-2 ’κοινωσάμην ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-310-1 ξύμπλουν ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-311-1 Cp. Ph. 1293

ὡς θεοὶ ξυνίστορες.

mvp-comment-311-2 λόγοις ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-312-1 μή μ’ ἀτιμάσῃς ³⁷⁸ τὸ μὴ οὐ ³⁷⁹ ἁγνίσαι τὸν θ ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-313-1 μή μοι ³⁸¹ κοινά ³⁸²

mvp-comment-313-2 μηδ’ ἃ μὴ ’θιγες ³⁸³ ἅ ³⁸⁴ ἅ ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-314-1 ποιοῦ σεαυτῆς ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-314-2 ἀρκέσω ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-315-1 σοῦ λελειμμένῃ ³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-315-2 φίλος ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-316-1 κηδεμών ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-317-1 ἀλγοῦσα μὲν δῆτ’ ³⁹² δῆτα ³⁹³

mvp-comment-317-2 ἐν σοί ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-317-3 Heath's εἰ γελῶ γ’ ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-318-1 ἀλλὰ νῦν ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-319-1 κἀμπλάκω ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-319-2 fate? i.e. to be dissociated from it: delib. aor. subj., which can be used, not only in asking what one is to do, but also in expressions of despair as to what one must suffer ( Tr. 973

τί πάθω

;). For

ἀμπλακεῖν

cp. 910 , 1234.

mvp-comment-320-1 εἵλου ³⁹⁸

mvp-comment-320-2 ζῆν ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-321-1 ἐπ’ ἀρρήτοις … τοῖς ἐμ. λ. ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-322-1 σὺ μὲν τοῖς ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-323-1 καὶ μήν ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-324-1 θάρσει ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-324-2 ἡ ἐμὴ ψυχή ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-324-3 πάλαι ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-324-4 ὥστε τοῖς θ. ὠφελεῖν ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-325-1 L gives τὼ παῖδε φημὶ ⁴⁰⁷

mvp-comment-325-2 τὼ παῖδε … τὴν μὲν … τὴν δέ ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-325-3 ἀρτίως ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-326-1 The apology is for her sister as well as for herself: even such prudence ( cp. 68

νοῦν

) as may have been inborn forsakes the unfortunate under the stress of their misfortunes.

mvp-comment-326-2 βλάστῃ ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-326-3 τοῖς κ. πράσσουσιν ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-326-4 ἐξίσταται ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-327-1 σοὶ γοῦν ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-327-2 κακοῖς ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-328-1 τῆσδ’ ἄτερ ⁴¹⁵ μόνῃ ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-328-2 βιώσιμον ⁴¹⁷ τί ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-329-1 ἀλλὰ … μέντοι ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-329-2 ἥδε μὴ λέγε ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-330-1 νυμφεῖα ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-331-1 ἀρώσιμοι ⁴²²

mvp-comment-332-1 οὐχ ὥς γ’ ⁴²³ ἡρμοσμένα ἦν ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-333-1 υἱέσι ⁴²⁵ υἱάσιν ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-333-2

υἷα, υἷε, υἷες, υἷας

: cp. Monro Hom. Gr. § 107.—The dat. of interest goes with κακὰς γυναῖκας ⁴²⁷ στυγῶ ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-334-1 It is not of much moment that L, like the later MSS., gives this verse to Ismene. Errors as to the persons occur not seldom in L (see, e.g., cr. n. to O. C. 837 , and cp. ib. 1737 ); and here a mistake would have been peculiarly easy, as the dialogue from v. 561 onwards has been between Creon and Ismene. To me it seems certain that the verse is Antigone's, and that one of the finest touches in the play is effaced by giving it to Ismene. The taunt,

κακὰς γυναῖκας υἱέσι

, moves Antigone to break the silence which she has kept since v. 560: in all this scene she has not spoken to Creon, nor does she now address him: she is thinking of Haemon,—of the dishonour to him implied in the charge of having made such a choice, —

ὡς αἰεὶ τὸν ὁμοῖον ἄγει θεὸς ὡς τὸν ὁμοῖον

. How little does his father know the heart which was in sympathy with her own. This solitary reference to her love heightens in a wonderful degree our sense of her unselfish devotion to a sacred duty. If Ismene speaks this verse, then

τὸ σὸν λέχος

in 573 must be, ‘the marriage of which you talk’ (like El. 1110

οὐκ οἶδα τὴν σὴν κλῄδον

'), which certainly is not its natural sense.

mvp-comment-334-2 Αἷμον ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-335-1 ἄγαν γε λυπεῖς ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-336-1 The MSS. give this verse to Ismene; but Boeckh is clearly right in giving it to the Chorus. Ismene asked this question in 568, and Creon answered: she rejoined to this answer (570), and Creon replied still more bitterly. She could not now ask her former question over again. But there is no unfitness in the question being repeated by a new intercessor, since to ask it thus is a form of mild remonstrance.

mvp-comment-337-1 ἐμοί ⁴³¹ ἔφυ ⁴³²

mvp-comment-338-1 This verse clearly belongs to the Chorus, to whom L assigns it. The first words of the next verse show this. Hermann objected that in similar situations the Chorus usually has two verses. It is true that this is usually the case. But O. T. 1312 is enough to show that there was no rigid rule; why, indeed, should there be? And, here, surely,

πλέον ἥμισυ παντός.

mvp-comment-338-2 δεδογμένα ⁴³³

mvp-comment-339-1 καὶ σοί γε κἀμοί ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-339-2 μὴ τριβάς ⁴³⁵

mvp-comment-339-3 νιν ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-340-1 ἐκ δὲ τοῦδε ⁴³⁷ γυναικας ⁴³⁸ ἀνειμένας ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-341-1 χοἱ θρασεῖς ⁴⁴⁰ πέλας ⁴⁴¹ εἰσορῶσι ⁴⁴²

mvp-comment-343-1 κακῶν ἄγευστος ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-344-1 σεισθῇ θεόθεν ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-344-2 ἄτας οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει ⁴⁴⁵ ἐλλείπει ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-344-3 γενεᾶς ἐπὶ πλῆθος ⁴⁴⁷ γενεᾶς ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-345-1 ὅμοιον ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-345-2 ποντίαις ⁴⁵⁰ πνοαῖς ⁴⁵¹ ὅταν οἶδμα ⁴⁵² ποντίαις δυσπν. Θρ. πνοαῖς ⁴⁵³ ἐπιδράμῃ ἔρεβος ὕφαλον ⁴⁵⁴ Θρῄσσαισιν ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-346-1 κελαινὰν θῖνα ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-346-2 δυσάνεμοι ⁴⁵⁷ δυσάνεμον ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-346-3 στόνῳ βρ.· ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-346-4 ἀντιπλῆγες ⁴⁶⁰ ἀκταί ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-347-1 ἀρχαῖα ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-347-2 ὁρῶμαι ⁴⁶³ οἴκων ⁴⁶⁴ φθι^τῶν ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-348-1 ἀπαλλάσσει ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-348-2 γενεὰν γένος ⁴⁶⁷ ἔχει ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-348-3 λύσιν ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-349-1 νῦν γὰρ ἐσχάτας ⁴⁷⁰ ὃ τέτατο ⁴⁷¹ ἐτέτατο ⁴⁷² κατ’ αὖ ⁴⁷³ ὑπέρ ⁴⁷⁴ ὅπερ ⁴⁷⁵ ὃ τέτατο ⁴⁷⁶ νιν ⁴⁷⁷ φάος ⁴⁷⁸ ἐσχάτη ῥίζα ⁴⁷⁹ φάος ⁴⁸⁰ νιν ⁴⁸¹ φάος ⁴⁸² θάλος ⁴⁸³ τέτατο ⁴⁸⁴ ῥίζας ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-350-1 κατ’ αὖ … ἀμᾷ, ⁴⁸⁶ κοπίς ⁴⁸⁷ κόνις ⁴⁸⁸ κόνις ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-350-2 (1) If κόνις ⁴⁹⁰ καταμᾷ ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-350-3 (2) If we read κοπίς ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-350-4 It has further been urged against

κοπίς

that the word is too homely. This may be so; but we lack proof.

κοπίς

seems to have been a large curved knife, known to the Greeks chiefly as ( a) a butcher's or cook's implement, ( b) an oriental military weapon. It does not follow, however, that the effect here would be like that of ‘chopper,’ or of ‘scimitar,’ in English. The dignity of a word may be protected by its simplicity; and

κοπίς

is merely ‘that which cuts.’ Pindar was not afraid of homeliness when he described a chorus-master as a

κρατήρ

, or an inspiring thought as an

ἀκόνα

(cp. O. C. 1052 n.). Nicander could say, of the scorpion,

τοίη οἱ κέντροιο κοπίς

( Ther. 780 ). If

κοπίς

be right, the change to

κόνις

may have been caused, not by a misreading of letters, but by mere inadvertence,—the copyist having the word

κόνις

in his thoughts at the moment: it has already occurred frequently ( 247 , 256 , 409 , 429 ).—See Appendix.

mvp-comment-351-1 λόγου … ἄνοια ⁴⁹³ φρενῶν ἐρινύς ⁴⁹⁴

mvp-comment-352-1 τεάν ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-352-2 δύνα^σιν ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-352-3 κατάσχοι ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-353-1 The MS. παντογήρως ⁴⁹⁸ παντοθήρας ⁴⁹⁹ παντόθηρος ⁵⁰⁰ πάντ’ ἀγρεύων ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-354-1 The MS. οὔτ’ ἀκάματοι θεῶν ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-354-2

οὐδὲν ἕρπει

. Far the best emendation is οὔτε θεῶν ἄκματοι ⁵⁰³ θεῶν ⁵⁰⁴ θεῶν μῆνες ⁵⁰⁵ θεῶν ⁵⁰⁶ οὔτε ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-354-3 ἄκματοι ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-355-1 I doubt whether the dat. χρόνῳ ⁵⁰⁹

mvp-comment-355-2 μαρμαρόεσσαν ⁵¹⁰

mvp-comment-356-1 τό τ’ ἔπειτα ⁵¹¹ τὸ μέλλον ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-356-2 καὶ τὸ πρίν ⁵¹⁶ ἐπαρκέσει ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-357-1 πάμπολύ γ’ ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-357-2 ἕρπει ⁵¹⁹ ἕρπειν ⁵²⁰ ἕρπει ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-357-3 πάμπολις ⁵²²

mvp-comment-358-1 ἁ γὰρ δή ⁵²³ γάρ ⁵²⁴ πολύπλαγκτος ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-358-2 oft tossed up and down, ploughing a sea of vain deceits.’—

πολύπλαγκτος

might also be act., ‘causing men to err greatly’; but this is less fitting here.

mvp-comment-359-1 πολλοῖς μὲν ὄνασις ⁵²⁶

mvp-comment-360-1 ἀπάτα … ἐρώτων ⁵²⁷

mvp-comment-360-2 κουφονόων ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-361-1 The

ἀπάτη

, or final frustration of his desires, ἕρπει ⁵²⁹ οὐδὲν εἰδότι ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-362-1 πρὶν … προσαύσῃ ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-362-2 προσαύσῃ ⁵³²

mvp-comment-362-3 πόδα ⁵³³ προσαύσῃ ⁵³⁴

mvp-comment-363-1 σοφίᾳ ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-363-2 ἔκ του ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-363-3 πεφάνται ⁵³⁷

mvp-comment-364-1 τὸ κακὸν δοκεῖν ποτ’ ⁵³⁸ ποτέ ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-364-2 1676 Among them he a spirit of phrenzy sent, Who hurt their minds. Cp.

βλαψίφρων, φρενοβλαβής

. Il. 19.137

ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ ἀασάμην, καί μευ φρένας ἐξέλετο Ζεύς

. Theognis 403

σπεύδει ἀνήρ, κέρδος διζήμενος, ὅν τινα δαίμων | πρόφρων εἰς μεγάλην ἀμπλακίην παράγει, | καί οἱ ἔθηκη δοκεῖν, ἃ μὲν ᾖ κακά, ταῦτ’ ἀγάθ’ εἶναι, | εὐμαρέως, ἃ δ’ ἂν ᾖ χρήσιμα, ταῦτα κακά

. Lycurgus in Leocr. § 92

οἱ γὰρ θεοὶ οὐδὲν πρότερον ποιοῦσιν ἢ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν διάνοιαν παράγουσι· καί μοι δοκοῦσι τῶν ἀρχαίων τινὲς ποιητῶν ὥσπερ χρησμοὺς γράψαντες τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις ταῦτα τὰ ἰαμβεῖα καταλιπεῖν· ὅταν γὰρ ὀργὴ δαιμόνων βλάπτῃ τινά, | τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ πρῶτον, ἐξαφαιρεῖται φρενῶν | τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἐσθλόν, εἰς δὲ τὴν χείρω τρέπει | γνώμην, ἵν’ εἰδῇ μηδἐν ὧν ἁμαρτάνει

. The schol. on our verse quotes an unknown poet's lines,

ὅταν δ’ ὁ δαίμων ἀνδρὶ πορσύνῃ κακά, | τὸν νοῦν ἔβλαψε πρῶτον, ᾧ βουλευεται

. (‘Quem Iuppiter vult perdere, dementat prius.’ See n. in Appendix.)— The epic ἔμμεν ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-365-1 ὀλίγιστον ⁵⁴¹ ὀλιγοστόν ⁵⁴² πράσσει … ἐκτὸς ἄτας ⁵⁴³ ἄτας ⁵⁴⁴

mvp-comment-366-1 μήν ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-366-2 νέατον ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-366-3 to a person,

νέατος

could not be said of a sole survivor unless he was also the latest-born.

γέννημ’

: cp. 471 n.

mvp-comment-366-4 ἀχνύμενος ⁵⁴⁷ μόρον ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-367-1 In the MS. reading (see cr. n.)

νύμφης

is a gloss on τάλιδος ⁵⁴⁹ τῆς μελλογάμου ⁵⁵⁰ τῆς μελλογάμου ⁵⁵¹ τάλιδος ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-368-1 ἀπάτας ⁵⁵³ λεχέων ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-370-1 μάντεων ὑπέρτερον ⁵⁵⁵

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

223-330. mvp-comment-136-1 The half-comic or rustic character of the watchman in this play is an extension of the common character of the messenger, whose natural rudeness of speech and thought brings into greater prominence the horror or pathos of the events he describes. The grotesqueness disappears when he speaks of the action of Antigone in 407-440. The employment of this artifice by Sophocles arises from the same motive to which Shakespeare gave a far wider range in such creations as the gravediggers in Hamlet, and the rural fellow in Antony and Cleopatra. The Messenger in the Trachiniae, the Corinthian in the Oedipus Tyrannus, Menelaus in the Ajax, the pretended Shipmaster in the Philoctetes, afford the same sort of contrast to the more tragic personages: and the superstition of the Coloniatae may be compared with the cowardice of the Phrygian slave in the Orestes of Euripides.

223-330. mvp-comment-136-2 The vulgarity of the common-place Athenian of the fifth century в.с. takes the form of misplaced subtlety of wit. Cp. Shak. Hamlet, 5. 1 ,

We must speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us. The age is grown so picked, that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier, he galls his kibe.

318. mvp-comment-186-1 τί δαί; though not found elsewhere in Sophocles or Aeschylus, may be admitted on the authority uthority of of the MS, where it is so obviously in keeping. Cp. ὦ τἂν in Ο. Τ. 1145, Phil. 1387.

318. mvp-comment-186-2 ῥυθμίζεις .. ὅπου; Do you scan the whereabouts of my annoyance?

320. mvp-comment-187-1 λάλημα The reading is doubtful between ἄλημα, A clever rogue, and λάλημα, Α prating fellow. ἄλημα is better known, and was read by the Scholiast, but λάλημα is sufficiently supported by Eur. Andromache 937, τούσδε Σειρήνων λόγους, | σοφῶν, πανούργων, ποικίλων λαλημάτων. And this word τίνεσθαι. fits more closely to the context of the present passage. 'Fie, tis too clear you are a born chatterbox. Then it is clear that I never did this deed. 323. What a pity that one who is opinionated should have a false opinion. For the subjunctive δοκῇ, cp. О. Т. 316, 317.

324. mvp-comment-188-1 κόμψευε . . δόξαν 'Ay do, refine now on the word "opinion."" This does not seem to be one of the cases where viv with the imperative mood should be changed to vuv, as there is a sufficient reason for the emphatic particle.

325. mvp-comment-189-1 ἐξερεῖτε You shall tell the world. Cp. Pind. Pyth. 2. 22, Ιξίονα φαντὶ ταῦτα βροτοῖς λέγειν ἐν πτερόεντι τροχῷ .. τὸν εὐεργέταν ἀγαναῖς ἀμοιβαῖς 332 ff. The chorus, in their first stasimon, express, in a veiled manner, their emotions at what has occurred. Not being able to say what they really think, that Creon's rash edict has already recoiled on his own family, they descant on the wonderful range of human enterprize, adding that where boldness and resource are combined with justice, they confer glory, but only bring ruin where they are subservient to wrong. The elders do not decide who in the present instance is the transgressor. The ode consists of two strophes and antistrophes, in which glyconic rhythms are mixed with lyrical dactyls, iambi, and trochees, in different proportions, the scheme being as follows:- ICC CC CI CICIC α'. } Iamb. Dact. Troch. Glycon. The two long syllables at the beginning of l. 8 of a form the transition from the dactyls to the trochees. There is a sensible change to a lighter and less simple movement at the beginning of β'. The resolved trochees in B' 5 mark a climax of feeling.

332-383. mvp-comment-190-1 Most wonderful of wondrous things is man, Who traverses the surging brine, And wearies mighty earth with yearly furrow. His craft ensnares the finny produce of the seas And taketh captive beast and bird. He compasseth a way to master the monster of the wilds, And brings under his yoke the horse with flowing mane And the never-wearied mountain bull. Selftaught in speech and thought and civil ways, And in providing shelter from the cold and rain, There is no end to his devices. Nothing but death ever finds him unprepared. Even diseases, not to be avoided, are escaped by him. Inventive beyond hope, he moveth now to evil, and again to good. When weaving with his wit the law of justice and piety He is exalted in the city, but outcast when he harbours wickedness for deeds of crime. May I never live with such an one, and may he never share my counsels. 332. Aesch. Cho. 585, πολλὰ μὲν γὰ τρέφει δεινὰ δειμάτων ἄχη,.. ἀλλ᾽ ὑπέρτολμον ἀνδρὸς φρόνημα τίς λέγοι; Troch. Iamb. Troch.

332-383. mvp-comment-190-2 δεινά = ' wonderful,' or mighty, is in transition from the earlier sense of fearful to the later sense of clever. Cp.

332-383. mvp-comment-190-3 ὀλοόφρων.

334. mvp-comment-191-1 τοῦτο This creature, man. The neuter continues the abstract notion from οὐδὲν .. δεινότερον, and is thus more impressive than the masculine would have been.

334. mvp-comment-191-2 πέραν Το the other side of.' Quite over. For the alliteration, which assists the emphasis, cp. El. 210.

335. mvp-comment-192-1 χειμερίῳ νότῳ Impelled by the stormy south-wind. Dative of cause. Essay on Language § 14. p. 21. 335-336. Traversing half-buried in the seething surge. For ὑπό with the dative in this sense, cp. О. С. 673, χλωραῖς ὑπὸ βάσσαις. Essay on Language § 19. p. 27.

336. mvp-comment-193-1 περιβρύχιος is probably active = Surging round, and contains an allusion to βρύχω, for which, cp. Aesch. Prom. 1082, βρυχία δ᾽ ἠχὼ παραμυκᾶται βροντής.

338. mvp-comment-194-1 ὑπερτάταν Supreme, as eldest and mother ofall. Solon, Fr. 36. 3, μεγίστη δαιμόνων Ὀλυμπίων | Γῆ. Cр. О. Т. 660, where the primacy for the occasion is similarly given to the sun. Schneidewin remarks that the assonance ἄφθιτον, ἀκαμάταν ἀποτρύεται, .. ἀρότρων helps to express the persistent industry of man. This ode is full of assonance and alliteration, and of correspondences such as ἀνεμόεν, μαχανόεν-παντόπορος, ἄπορος -ὑψίπολις, ἄπολις.

339. mvp-comment-195-1 ἀποτρύεται Wears out for his use (mid.) the still-unwearied Earth. The present implies that the process is never-ending. Even in the common operations of husbandry the old religion finds a ground for awe. The dactyls suit the thought of the continuous round of human labour, as those of the antistrophe express the movement of the steed. The two long syllables, ἱππει-, οὐρει-, at once check the flow of rhythm (as with a renewed feeling of wonder), and by their weight give impetus to the concluding trochees. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 1039-1040, 1063.4.

340. mvp-comment-196-1 ἰλλομένων ἀρότρων As the ploughs keep turning year after year. The force of ἴλλω is limited motion. Thus the shuttle might be said ἴλλεσθαι, because when it reaches either end of the loom it is driven back again. Precisely in the same way the ploughs are said ἴλλεσθαι, “To keep moving to and fro within certain bounds.' ἔτος εἰς ἔτος] i. e. δι' ἔτους εἰς ἔτος, "Through one year into the next,' the first ἔτος being the accusative of duration.

340. mvp-comment-196-2 ἱππείῳ γένει πολεύων Breaking the glebe by the strength of mules. πολεύειν = πολεῖν in Hes. Op. 460, ἔαρι πολεῖν· θέρεος δὲ νεωμένη οὔ σ᾽ ἀπατή- The masc. is more probable than the neuter, both because τοῦτο is re- σει. mote, and because ἀνήρ follows in the antistrophe.

340. mvp-comment-196-3 ἱππείῳ γένει i. e. Prole equarum. Schol. ταῖς ἡμιόνοις.

αἱ γάρ τε βοῶν προφερέστεραί εἰσιν ἐλκέμεναι νείοιο βαθείης πηκτὸν ἄροτρον.

Hom. Il. 10.352. Donaldson also compares Simon. Fr. 13 (Bergk.), χαίρετ' ἀελλοπόδων θύγατρες ἵππων.

343. mvp-comment-197-1 *κουφονόων Light-thoughted. This is Brunck's certain emendation, anticipated by the corrector of R. (Cp. v. rr. on l. 617.) Donaldson well says that as wings express the light-mindedness of light-mindedness is here made an epithet of the winged birds. But the word may further suggest the unsuspicious nature ('Despising the earth where cares abound') which makes them an easy prey. Cp. Plat. Tim. 91 D, τὸ δὲ τῶν ὀρνέων φῦλον . . ἐκ τῶν ἀκάκων ἀνδρῶν, κούφων δέ, κ.τ.λ.

345. mvp-comment-198-1 πόντου τ᾽ εἰναλίαν φύσιν The brood of ocean teeming in the seas. For φύσιν, see Essay on Language § 51. p. 96.

346. mvp-comment-199-1 σπείραισι δικτυοκλώστοις With meshy toils,' is to be joined with ἀμφιβαλὼν ἄγει. Nets (δίκτυα) were used in hunting and fowling, as well as in fishing. For ἄγειν in the sense of making captive, cp. Il. 9. 594, τέκνα δέ τ᾽ ἄλλοι ἄγουσι βαθυζώνους τε γυναῖκας.

346. mvp-comment-199-2 ἄγει suits well with the image of a captive enemy, which is kept up in the words φύλον and ἔθνη.

348. mvp-comment-200-1 περιφραδής By his excellent wit. The 1st strophe exhibits the boldness, the Ist antistrophe the cunning, of primitive man. The 2nd strophe and antistrophe describe the higher functions of civilized life. 349 ff. He not only subdues the animals, but makes them his servants.' In correcting this line, the dactylic metre is to be retained, which is hardly done in the conjj. ἀμφιλόφῳ ζυγῷ or ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγοῖ. The words ἀμφίλοφον ζυγόν are sound both in meaning and rhythm. Brunck's conj. ὑπάξεται, supplying the preposition required by the Scholia, would be unexceptionable, if such a potential use of the future in an affirmative sentence could be defended. Blaydes' ὑπήγαγεν would be convincing if closer to the MSS. In favour of ἐπάξεται it may be urged that the repetition of the same word is in the manner of the ode, and that the figurative expression, he shall bring to his aid,' agrees with ἄγει, supr. 343. But besides the questionable future, the construction of the 2nd accus., sc. ἐπ᾿ ἀμφ. ζυγόν, is in this case dubious. ὑφέλκεται. . ζυγόν, compels to serve him in the yoke, may be suggested, although the verb ὑφέλκειν is not used elsewhere precisely in the sense required. Else qy. ἐφέλκεται?

352. mvp-comment-201-1 ἀκμῆτα is preferable to ἀδμῆτα, as the rarer word and as introducing a new and apposite idea. 353 ff. There is a natural progress in the thought. First, navigation and agriculture were mentioned as the arts of subduing the crude forces of nature; then the capture and domestication of animals. Now we come to the humanities and arts of life (the domestication of man himself), and lastly, in ἀντ. β', to moral or political good and evil.

354. mvp-comment-202-1 ἀνεμόεν φρόνημα Windswift thought; i. e. Thought which is viewless, free and nimble as the wind. Sophocles knew that the soul had been identified with the air. Cp. Plat. Phaedo, 96 Β, πότερον τὸ αἷμά ἐστιν ᾧ φρονοῦμεν, ἢ ὁ ἀήρ. ἢ τὸ πῦρ, κ.τ.λ. Schneidewin well compares Hom. Il. 15. 80, foll., ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἀΐξῃ νόος ἀνέρος, ὅς τ᾽ ἐπὶ πολλὴν | γαῖαν ἐληλουθὼς φρεσὶ πευκαλίμῃσι νοήσῃ | · ἔνθ εἴην ἢ ἔνθα, μενοινήπολλὰ | ὡς κραιπνῶς μεμανία διέπτατο πότνια Ἥρη. Wieseler's conj.

354. mvp-comment-202-2 κατ᾿ ἀν. φρ., adopted by Wolff, is surely unnecessary. Why should not man teach himself to think as well as to count? (See Plat. Rep. 7, p. 522.)

355-356. mvp-comment-203-1 ἀστυνόμους | ὀργάς is well explained by Seyffert, Urbium incolendarum studia. The disposition to inhabit cities. This seems more probable than The tempers of civic life. ἀστυνόμος ὀργή is the social impulse which draws men together to become inhabitants of the same town. comparison of Ar. Pol. 6. 8. 4, (ἑτέρα δ᾽ ἐπιμέλεια ταύτης ἐχομένη καὶ σύνεγγυς ἡ τῶν περὶ τὸ ἄστυ δημοσίων καὶ ἰδίων, ὅπως εὐκοσμία ῃ, καὶ τῶν πιπτόντων οἰκοδομημάτων καὶ ὁδῶν σωτηρία καὶ διόρθωσις, καὶ τῶν ὁρίων τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὅπως ἀνεγκλήτως ἔχωσι, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ἄλλα τῆς ἐπιμελείας ὁμοιότροπα, καλοῦσι δ' ἀστυνομίαν οἱ πλεῖστοι τὴν τοιαύτην ἀρχήν), suggests the conjecture ἀστυνόμους ἀρχάς (already made by Valckenaer), Administrative rule. V reads ὁρμάς, ср. О. Т. 337. Qy. ἀρετάς? Ср. 366. 355, foll. And to avoid the cleareyed influence of comfortless frosts, and the pelting of the pitiless rain.' διαίθρεια, sc. βέλη.

356. mvp-comment-204-1 ἐδιδάξατο He taught himself. For the directly reflexive middle, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 52. The origin of the arts was a favourite problem of the Sophists. Cp. Plato, Prot. 320 D, foll. It is here assumed that they were selftaught without Prometheus or other superhuman aid.

357. mvp-comment-205-1 Musgr. would read either διαίθρεια, or αἴθρεια with φρουρῶν for παρειρῶν in l. 367. G. Wolff reads αἴθρεια and πληρῶν. But the repetition of in ll. 3, 4, and 6 suits the composition of the strophe better than the introduction of the bacchius and cretic in l. 3. διαίθρεια, serene, while keeping up the alliteration, suits the context better than ὑπαίθρεια or ἐναίθρεια, in the open air. Join *διαίθρεια βέλη as well as δύσομβρα βέλη.

360. mvp-comment-206-1 παντοπόρος· ἄπορος This punctuation is justified by the corresponding line of the antistrophe, which cannot be pointed otherwise. παντοπόρος, sc. ὤν, is added, like περιφραδής ἀνήρ, supr. 347, to express the admiration excited by the preceding statements.

360-361. mvp-comment-207-1 οὐδὲν . . τὸ μέλλον] Cp. l. 728, μηδὲν τὸ μὴ δίκαιον. Essay on Language § 22. p. 36.

362. mvp-comment-208-1 οὐκ ἐπάξεται He shall not win. For a similar metaphorical use of ἐπάγεσθαι, where, however, the reading has also been questioned, cp. Thuc. 3.10, τὴν τῶν ξυμμάχων δούλωσιν ἐπαγομένους.

364. mvp-comment-209-1 νόσων δ᾽ ἀμηχάνων φυγὰς | ξυμπέφρασται He hath gathered to him by his thought a remedy for many an unavoidable disease. ξυμ- marks that the healing art is a collective monument of human skill. πέφρασται recalls the notion of περιφραδής, supr. 347. For the oxymoron, cp. supr. 340, ἀκαμάταν ἀποτρύεται.

365-366. mvp-comment-210-1 His power of artful contrivance is a miracle of unimaginable skill, wherewith he followeth one while an evil purpose, at other times a good one.' τέχνας is added as genitive of respect to complete the notion of τὸ μηχανόεν. ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδα, beyond what could have been hoped for, or expected before the event. τι marks the indefiniteness of σοφόν as the predicate. It is in agreement with σοφόν, but has the effect of a particle or adverb (πως).

366. mvp-comment-211-1 κακόν, . . ἐπ᾿ ἐσθλόν Cp. О. Т. 761, ἀγρούς σφε πέμψαι κἀπὶ ποιμνίων νομάς.

367. mvp-comment-212-1 νόμους παρείρων χθονός When he knits therewith, sc. τῷ μηχανόεντι τῆς τέχνης καὶ σοφῷ, the laws of his land and the oath-observing righteousness of heaven. It is objected to παρείρων that it elsewhere means Inserting incidentally, or by the way, and that such a meaning is unsuitable here. But, as Seyffert has already shown, the word (which is a rare one) may quite well mean Weaving in,' like gold-leaf, for instance, into a chaplet of flowers. Cp. Plat. Legg. 605 D, καὶ τὸν τοῦ Κύρου δασμὸν ὃν ὑπέσχετο Πέρσαις εἰς τὸν νόμον ἐνέδει. Conjectural emendations are γεραίρων, περαίνων, γὰρ αἴρων, τ᾿ ἀείρων, πληρῶν (see v. rr., and note on 357).

370. mvp-comment-213-1 ὑψίπολις For this compound, cp. ἡδύπολις, ὀρθόπολις, μεγιστόπολις, δικαιόπολις. The construction is elliptical, sc. ὑψίπολις ὧν or ἐστί.

370. mvp-comment-213-2 ἄπολις . . χάριν] He is outcast from the state, who harbours evil for the indulgence of crime. Cp. supr. l. 30, πρὸς χάριν βορâs: Plat. Phaedr. 241, χάριν πλησμονῆς. This is better than joining τόλμας χάριν with ἄπολις = He is an outcast for his boldness.

375. mvp-comment-214-1 ἴσον φρονῶν i. e. Of the same party in the state. For the expression, cp. Il. 15.50, ἶσον ἐμοὶ φρονέουσα.

376-378. mvp-comment-215-1 ἐς δαιμόνιον τέρας .. Ἀντιγόνην] I stand in doubt at this strange marvel, how to gainsay what I know, and say that this is not the maid Antigone. The resumption is suitable to the chorus' perturbed state of feeling. Seyffert's ἐς δαιμόνιον τέρας ἀμφινοῶν τότε, referring to the previous scene (1. 278), is without the directness and simplicity of these short anapaestic passages, in which the chorus announce the entrance of a new person on the stage. Cp. 526 ff., 626 ff.

378. mvp-comment-216-1 οὐκ εἶναι, not μὴ εἶναι, because the entrance of Antigone is a patent fact.

382. mvp-comment-217-1 *ἀπάγουσι Sc. εἰς κρίσιν.

385. mvp-comment-218-1 εἵλομεν The v. r. εἴδομεν is supported by infr. 404, 406, 423, and εἴλομεν, the reading of L, etc., may have been occasioned by καθελόντες in the nearer context. But see v. rr. on 655.

386. mvp-comment-219-1 ἐς δέον Cp. Ο. Τ. 1416, εἰς δέον πάρεστι. εἰς μέσον, which Seyffert has restored from L, although having the authority of the chief MS, is more like a MS. conjecture than eἰς δέον. The same may be said of ἐξέβην, as compared with προὔβην. Seyffert reads ξύμμετρ᾽ ἐξέβην τύχῃ.

388. mvp-comment-220-1 οὐδέν ἐστ᾿ ἀπώμοτον This γνώμη first occurs in the fragment of Archilochus about the eclipse (76 Bergk), χρημάτων ἄελπτον οὐδέν ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἀπώμοτον. Cp. Pind. Ol. 13. 83, παρ' ὅρκον καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδα κούφαν.

389. mvp-comment-221-1 ψεύδει .. γνώμην 'For second thoughts bely one's resolutions.' ου 390. ἄv belongs grammatically to the verb ἐξηύχουν, but in meaning rather modifies the infinitive.

391. mvp-comment-222-1 ταῖς .. τότε When my soul was shaken with the tempest of your former threatenings.᾿ ἀπειλαῖς is dative of the occasion or accompaniment, assisted by attraction. Essay on Language § 11. p. 18, с. Ср. 1. 691.

392. mvp-comment-223-1 ἐκτὸς καὶ παρ᾿ ἐλπίδας i. e.

392. mvp-comment-223-2 ἐκτὸς ἐλπίδος (supr. 1. 330) καὶ παρ᾿ ἐλπίδας.

393. mvp-comment-224-1 ἔοικεν.. μήκος οὐδέν Sc. οὐδὲν ἔοικε μήκος, i. e. εἰς τὸ μέγεθος, as the Scholiast says.

395. mvp-comment-225-1 καθευρέθη is not to be rejected because of the rarity of the compound. See Essay on Language p. 90. But the conjecture of Nauck, καθῃρέθη, is favoured by καθελόντες in l. 383.

398. mvp-comment-226-1 ὡς θέλεις In arresting Antigone the watchman has done not his own will but Creon's. Infr. 438. 399,

400. mvp-comment-227-1 ἐγὼ δ'. κακῶν But I have a full right to be "away and clear" from this bad business.

401. mvp-comment-228-1 This maiden! where, and how, did you arrest her?' The emphatic order of words expresses the profound astonishment of Creon. Essay on Language § 41. p. 77.

403. mvp-comment-229-1 λέγεις ὀρθῶς Do you say it with a clear mind? i. e. Have you your wits when you say this? CСр. О. Т. 528, ἐξ ὀμμάτων δ᾽ ὀρθῶν τε καὶ ὀρθῆς φρενός | κατηγορεῖτο τοὐπίκλημα τοῦτό μου;

404. mvp-comment-230-1 ὃν σὺ τόν The collocation of antecedent and relative is peculiar, and perhaps characteristic of the rustic emphasis of the Φύλαξ. See notes on supr. 238, 269, and cp. infr. 409.

406. mvp-comment-231-1 And how was she discovered, caught, and taken ?"

407. mvp-comment-232-1 τοιοῦτον (1) As you say: she was seen (1. 423), surprised (1.432), and caught (1.433). Or (2) As follows,' = τοιόνδε.

409-410. mvp-comment-233-1 τὸν | νέκυν Α remarkable instance of synapheia. Cp. 1. 238. Essay on Language § 21. p. 33. Supr. 238.

410. mvp-comment-234-1 μυδῶν Dank: referring rather to the state of the corpse (cp. 412) than to the remains of the libation, which would be soon dried by the sun.

410. mvp-comment-234-2 εὐ Carefully. For the order, see Essay on Language p. 78, and cp. О. Т. 308, μαθόντες εὖ.

411. mvp-comment-235-1 We sat just below the top of the rising ground, in the lee of the wind, so escaping the incidence of the odour from the dead. Supposing the corpse to be exposed on a slope of the high ground, surrounded by hillocks, they would select a point of observation on the lee-side of one of these hillocks, and to the windward of the corpse, which they would have full in view.

411. mvp-comment-235-2 ἐκ = On this side of and looking from. Essay on Language § 19. p. 27. Infr. 1110, εἰς ἐπόψιον τόπον : 1197, πεδίον ἐπ᾿ ἄκρον. πικρᾶς] ι in erasure of v? by recent hand Vat.

412. mvp-comment-236-1 This line is not necessarily connected with the preceding: i.e. They may be supposed to select a spot, (1) out of the wind, (2) out of the way of the smell. But the explanation above given (411 note) is more probable. In either case the point is that in attending to their watch they were mightily careful of their own comfort.

412. mvp-comment-236-2 βάλῃ Changed by Stephanusto βάλοι, because of the past time and the optative following. But the subj. is more vivid.

413-414. mvp-comment-237-1 Rousing each his fellow with noisy altercation, reviling him who should take this labour easily. εἴ τις, κ.τ.λ. depends on the verbal notion implied in κακοῖσιν = κακῶς λέγοντες.

413-414. mvp-comment-237-2 ἀφειδεῖν, ‘Το be unsparing, and so To be negligent, To treat lightly, To act without circumspection. For an approach to this meaning, cp. Thuc. 4.26 § 7. Bonitz conj. ἀκηδήσοι.

415-417. mvp-comment-238-1 This lasted till the sun had reached his station in mid-sky with unclouded splendour, and the heat was glowing.' Cp. the Homeric ὄφρα μὲν ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει.

417. mvp-comment-239-1 When suddenly from the earth the Storm-god raised a squall, that saddened all the sky, and filled the plain, tearing the tresses of the orchard groves, and the wide heaven was choked withal.' The chief discomfort of such a visitation would be the cloud of dust, forcing men to close their eyes, and wrapping even near objects from sight. The watchman is explaining why they lost sight of the corpse. The poet also provides a motive for the act by which Antigone is betrayed. She fears that the corpse, lying in an exposed situation, may have been disturbed by the violence of the wind.

418. mvp-comment-240-1 οὐράνιον ἄχος may mean either (1) A trouble from the sky, or (2) A trouble reaching to the sky. The latter is best, as the word χθονός indicates that the whirlwind seemed to rise out of the ground.

420. mvp-comment-241-1 ἐν δ' See Essay on Language p. 26. § 18, a.

421. mvp-comment-242-1 μύσαντες .. νόσον Closing lips and eyes, we endured the Divine visitation.

422. mvp-comment-243-1 ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ After lasting a long while: giving time for Antigone to come out of her concealment, with the libation ready. 423, foll. κἀνακωκύει] ‘And raises a shrill wailing cry, like the voice of the despairing bird. For the descriptive genitive, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

422. mvp-comment-243-2 πικρᾶς Embittered, 'Full of bitterness: the quality of the object is transferred to the subject: i.e. πικρᾶς, ἅτε πασχούσης πικρά. Also the bitterness of anger is joined to that of grief. Cp. the Latin dolor. For the genitive, cp. Trach. 768, ὥστε τέκτονοs. And for the omission of ὡs, which is supplied in the following clause, cp. supr. 114, λευκῆς χιόνος πτέρυγι στεγανός. G. Wolff reads ὅ. δ. φθόγγον ὥς, ὅταν κ. But this yields a less probable rhythm.

424-425. mvp-comment-244-1 As when it sees robbed of its young ones the desolated couch of its nest. For the pleonasm, see Essay on Language § 40. p. 75.

426. mvp-comment-245-1 οὕτω δέ The apodosis is resumed, as so often happens after a comparison. Essay on Language p. 75. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 252.

427. mvp-comment-246-1 γόοισιν Essay on Language p. 75.

427. mvp-comment-246-2 ἐκ δ᾽.. ἠρᾶτο Essay on Language § 18. p. 27.

430. mvp-comment-247-1 ἄρδην.. στέφει Slightly condensed from ἄρδην ἔχουσα στέφει. στέφει, She decorates, Honours. Metaphorical, as in Od. 8. 170, ἀλλὰ θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει. Cp. καταστέφειν in Eur. Phoen. 1632, and Sophron ap. Athen. 479 B. She leaves out no jot of the ceremony: ὡς οὐδὲν ὑφιεμένη τῷ κρηύγματι.

431. mvp-comment-248-1 Od. 11. 26, ἀμφ᾿ αὐτῷ δὲ χοὰς χέομεν πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι, | πρῶτα μελικρήτῳ, μετέπειτα δὲ ἡδέϊ οἴνῳ, | τὸ τρίτον αὐθ᾽ ὕδατι.

432. mvp-comment-249-1 σὺν δέ νιν | θηρώμεθ' For this tmesis, see Essay on Language § 18. p. 26. συν as in συλλαμβάνω.

435. mvp-comment-250-1 Cp. Hdt. 3. 66, ἔξαρνος ἦν μὴ μὲν ἀποκτεῖναι Σμέρδιν: 3. 99, ἄπαρνός ἐστι μὴ μὲν νοσέειν.

436. mvp-comment-251-1 ἀλλ᾽.. ἅμα ἀλλά is to be explained as pointing the antithesis after the negative. Her attitude was not that of denial, but one to me at least pleasant and painful as well. The adverb modifies a word which is to be supplied from καθίστατο. ἡδέως ἐμοί, i. e. ὥστε ἐμὲ ἥδεσθαι, Essay on Language § 24. p. 40. There is a certain point in this which is lost in the emendation of Dindorf, ἅμ᾽ ἡδέως, in which, however, the repetition of ἅμα may be defended from Plat. Gorg. 497 Α, ἅμα διψῶν τε ἕκαστος ἡμῶν πέπαυται καὶ ἅμα ἡδόμενος διὰ τοῦ πίνειν. Schneidewin quotes also Gorg. 496 C, ὧν ἅμα τε ἀπαλλάττεται ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἅμα ἔχει, which is not really parallel.

439-440. mvp-comment-252-1 ἀλλὰ .. σωτηρίας (1) But all these things are to me by nature less important to obtain than my own safety. λαβεῖν epexegetic, like ἔχειν in Ο. Τ. 592, τυραννὶς ἡδίων ἔχειν. Cp. inf. 638, μείζων φέρεσθαι: Εl. 1015-1016, προνοίας οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις ἔφυ | κέρδος λαβεῖν ἄμειvov. Or, possibly, (2) It is in my nature to take less account of all this than of my own safety. For the meaning thus given to ἐμοὶ πέφυκ cp. Εl. 860, πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μύρος. And for λαβεῖν = To weigh or estimate, cp. Thuc. 2. 42, § 5, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων τιμωρίαν ποθεινοτέραν αὐτῶν λαβόντες.

441. mvp-comment-253-1 For σὲ δή, sc. λέγω, cp. Aesch. Prom. 944, σὲ τὸν σοφιστήν, κ.τ.λ.: Soph. El. 1445, σε τοι, σὲ κρίνω, κ.τ.λ.: Eur. Hel. 546. And for ἐς πέδον κάρα νεύειν, cp. supr. 269.

441. mvp-comment-253-2 Creon misinterprets the action of Antigone. She fixes her eyes upon the ground, not from fear or shame, but because she is out of sympathy with all present, and her thoughts are in the other world. The hidden fire flashes out in ll. 450, foll., which are certainly not spoken with averted eyes. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1121.

442. mvp-comment-254-1 καταρνεῖ The unusual compound, introduced, perhaps, partly for the sake of metre, has also a special sense of blame. Cp. καταμελέω, καταξιόω, καταπειλέω, καταπροδίδωμι, καταργυρόω, κατασπείρω, κατασχολάζω.

445. mvp-comment-255-1 Free and exempt from grievous imputation.

446. mvp-comment-256-1 μήκος Adverbial, cp. O. С. 92, κέρδη μὲν οἰκήσαντα τοῖς δεδεγμένοις.

446. mvp-comment-256-2 'Tell us, no long tale, but briefly, knew you of the edict that forbade this deed? I knew; 'twas plain enough. How could I fail to know? And were you, then, so hardy as to transgress our law? That edict came not to me from the mouth of Zeus, nor from the Right, whose throne is with the Gods below. They also have appointed unto men a law. Methought your edict could not so prevail, as that a mortal should overleap the silent irrefragable ordinances of heaven. Their life is not of to-day or yesterday. They are eternal. None knoweth of a time when they began. I feared not so the mind of any man, as to incur before the Gods the penalty of that law. I knew, forsooth, without your edict, that I was to die. And if I am to die before the time, I count it gain. For he must surely gain by death who lives, as I do, midst abounding woes. And so for me to meet this doom is a grief I reck not of. If I had borne to leave unburied the corpse, fallen in carnage, of my mother's son, that had been a grief to me, but this is no grief. And if I seem to you to be now doing foolishly, it comes to this;-I am condemned of folly by a fool.'

447. mvp-comment-257-1 τὰ κηρυχθέντα The proclamation made. Cobet's conjecture ᾔδησθα κηρυχθέντα (Νov. Lect. 1858. p. 215), while restoring the recognised Attic form, is unobjectionable in point of syntax. But the use of the article in pointing to his own decree is characteristic of Creon, and if ἠείδης is retained in the Iliad, 22. 280, why not ᾔδης in Tragedy?

449. mvp-comment-258-1 καὶ δῆτα And then. Cp. Plat. Theaet. 142 C, καὶ δῆτα προπέμψας αὐτόν, ἀπιὼν πάλιν, κ.τ.λ.

449. mvp-comment-258-2 τούσδε . . νόμους These laws, i. e. The laws whose majesty is vested in me. For this use of the demonstrative, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 34.

450. mvp-comment-259-1 I obeyed no decree of yesterday, but the eternal law. That cannot be annulled by any enactment of a mere man. It may be that I shall die for what I have done. But it needed not your proclamation to tell me that I must die. And to die before the term appointed me is to lose so much of sorrow.

451. mvp-comment-260-1 For the mythological fancy, cp. О. С. 1381-1382, εἴπερ ἐστὶν ἡ παλαίφατος | Δίκη ξύνεδρος Ζηνὸς ἀρχαίοις νόμοις.

452. mvp-comment-261-1 This line is rightly explained by the Scholiast and Donaldson, Ἡ δίκη, φησί, καὶ ὁ Ζεὺς ὥρισαν ὥστε θάπτεσθαι τοὺς νεκρούς.. θέλει δὲ εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως δίκαιον ἤγημαι θάπτειν τὸν ἀδελφόν. (Schol.) She replies, that she did not consider his proclamations as emanating from Zeus, the supreme God, or from that justice which regulated the rights of the dead, who, she says, have established these laws, namely, the laws of sepulture, which do not need any enactment, but have their ὅροι set up in the human heart. (Donaldson.) The iteration of τούσδε, in contrasting the law which she obeyed with the edict of Creon, is dramatically appropriate, and there is no difficulty in the vague use of the demonstrative. See Essay on Language § 22. p. 34. Cp. Od. 10. 326, τάδε φάρμακα.

454. mvp-comment-262-1 ἄγραπτα κἀσφαλῆ Unwritten and sure. Ср. О. Т. 865 ff., and note. ἀσφαλῆ is not only Never failing to apply, but also Never failing to vindicate their authority. Cp. II. 456 ff.

455. mvp-comment-263-1 θνητὸν ὄντα Sc. σέ, understood from τὰ σὰ κηρύγματα. That a mortal man should run beyond the silent irrefragable ordinances of the Gods. Cp. Eur. Ion 973, καὶ πῶς τὰ κρείσσω θνητός οὖσ᾽ ὑπερδράμω; Ο.Τ. 476-482

456. mvp-comment-264-1 νῦν .. κἀχθές To-day or yes- terday. The particle γε, ay, serves to connect the sentences, and τε is unnecessary, as appears from the similar expression, χθὲς καὶ πρώην, in Plat. Legg. 3. 677 D.

456. mvp-comment-264-2 ἀεί ποτε means Everlastingly, without any clear distinction of past or future. πότε gives the effect of indefiniteness or infinity.

457. mvp-comment-265-1 ζῇ Are in force. Cр. О. Т. 481, ἀεὶ ζῶντα περιποτᾶται.

457. mvp-comment-265-2 ἐξ ὅτου 'φάνη Since when they came into being. Cp. Tr. 1, λόγος ..

457. mvp-comment-265-3 ἀρχαῖος φανείς.

458-459. mvp-comment-266-1 τούτων.. τὴν δίκην The penalty to be exacted in vindication of these. The Gods might be said δίκην ἐπιτιθέναι τῶν παραβαθέντων νόμων, although the word in the genitive after δίκη more frequently signifies the offence for which punishment is awarded. Cp. infr. 1074, τούτων σε λωβητῆρες ὑστεροφθόροι, κ.τ.λ.

458-459. mvp-comment-266-2 ἀνδρός Of a mere man. Cp. O. C. 567, ἔξοιδ᾽ ἀνὴρ ὤν. 461 ff. Shak. Julius Caesar, 3. 1, 'Bru. That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time | And drawing days out, that men stand upon. | Cass. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life | Cuts off so many years of fearing death. | Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit: | So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged His time of fearing death.'

458-459. mvp-comment-266-3 τοῦ χρόνου, sc. ἐν ᾧ μ᾿ ἐχρῆν θανεῖν.

462. mvp-comment-267-1 κέρδος αὔτ᾽ ἐγὼ λέγω αὔτ᾽, i. e. αὐτό, although not necessary to the construction, as appears from Plat. Apol. 40 Ε., κέρδος ἔγωγε λέγω, is better here than αὖτe, which weakens κέρδος.

463. mvp-comment-268-1 ὡς ἐγώ Supr. ll. 4-6.

466. mvp-comment-269-1 παρ᾿ οὐδὲν ἄλγος Is a grief of no account. Cp. supr. 35.

466. mvp-comment-269-2 ἐμῆς Meineke conj. ἐκ μιᾶs, Seyffert ὁμῆς, unnecessarily. The emphatic use of ἐμós is frequent in Sophocles.

467. mvp-comment-270-1 ἄθαπτον *ἠνσχόμην ἠνσχόμην (1) may be defended by the analogy of the syncopated ἀνσχήσεσθαι, ἄνσχεο, in Epic Greek. Otherwise (2) νέκυν may be cancelled as a gloss, and ἄθαπτον *ὄντ᾿ ἠνεσχόμην read, according to the conj. of Prof. E. L. Lushington. Or (3) ἐσχόμην may be read in the sense of ἠνεσχόμην. Ε. on L. § 55, 4. p. 101. But this is doubtful.

470. mvp-comment-271-1 μώρῳ i.e. One whose judgment is self-condemned, because opposed to the eternal laws. The word is not prompted by mere petulance, but is uttered with profound conviction.

471. mvp-comment-272-1 'The maiden's lineage declares itself in the fierce vein that comes to her from her fierce sire.' Phil. 1045-1046.

472. mvp-comment-273-1 ἐπίσταται Sc. ἡ παῖς.

473. mvp-comment-274-1 σκληρά Unbending, and so Stubborn, Obstinate.

473. mvp-comment-274-2 The self-will of Creon appears with increasing distinctness. (1) He asserts his confidence in the use of power to suppress insubordination. (2) He speaks of his ward, whom he does not care to name, as in the place of a slave (479): (3) he implies that to cede an inch of authority is to give the sovereignty to another (485). (4) He throws the tie of kindred to the winds. The first words of his speech are ominous of his own doom. See Introduction.

475. mvp-comment-275-1 ὀπτὸν .. περισκελή Baked to exceeding hardness. Cp. Aj. 649, καὶ περισκελεῖς φρένες.

476. mvp-comment-276-1 θραυσθέντα καὶ ῥαγέντα Broken and shattered. The strongest word is put first in the Greek. Essay on Language § 41. p.77.

477. mvp-comment-277-1 σμικρῷ has a strong emphasis. Ibid.

478. mvp-comment-278-1 ἐκπέλει Hesych. ἐκπέλει, ἔξεστι. Hdt. uses ἐκγίνεσθαι in a similar sense. See Essay on Language § 55. p. 101.

479. mvp-comment-279-1 δοῦλος Creon shows his coarsely tyrannical spirit by boasting of his absolute power over his orphan relative.

481. mvp-comment-280-1 Cp. Hdt. 3. 83, νόμους οὐκ ὑπερβαίνουσα τοὺς Περσέων.

484. mvp-comment-281-1 Cp. Eur. I. Α. 952 ff., ἢ Σίπυλος ἔσται πόλις, ὅρισμα βαρβάρων, κ.τ.λ.

485. mvp-comment-282-1 If this authority is to be allowed to rest with her unchallenged. By an exaggeration of feeling like that in l. 208, he thinks that to pardon disobedience is to yield authority to the offender. For κείσεται, cp. El. 361, σοὶ δὲ πλουσία | τράπεζα κείσθω: ἀνάκειμαι in Hdt. 1.97, γνοὺς ὁ Δηϊόκης ἐς ἑωυτὸν πᾶν ἀνακείμενον.

485. mvp-comment-282-2 κράτη, as in l. 173, ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω.

486. mvp-comment-283-1 ὁμαιμονεστέρα is the more rational and stronger reading: although in weighing a hyperbolical expression of this kind, that is perhaps hardly a sufficient argument, and may be urged on the other side as accounting for the alteration of the MS.

487. mvp-comment-284-1 τοῦ παντὸς.. Ζηνὸς ἐρκείου i.e. Our whole family, the presiding numen being put for the thing held sacred.

489. mvp-comment-285-1 μόρου For the genitive with ἀλύξετον, cp. Phil. 1044, τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι.

489. mvp-comment-285-2 ἴσον is probably to be construed both with ἐπαιτιῶμαι and βουλεύσαι (‘I accuse equally of plotting equally'), and τοῦδε τάφου is partly gen. after ἐπαιτιῶμαι, partly after ἴσον.

491. mvp-comment-286-1 ἀρτίως Viz. after l. 331, when Ismene knew that the deed was done, and, alone of those in the palace, knew also by whom.

493-494. mvp-comment-287-1 And it commonly happens that the spirit of those who are plotting some utter wickedness in secret is convicted of its occulted guilt before the act.

493. mvp-comment-288-1 ᾑρῆσθαι κλοπεύς Το be arrested in some stealthy enterprise. The perfect tense marks that the detection is completed before the purpose is carried into effect. Cp. πεπραγμένα .. ἡμαρτημένα, in O. T. 621.

495. mvp-comment-289-1 Yet I hate it equally when one who is caught in actual mischief tries to make a virtue of the offence.

495. mvp-comment-289-2 ἐν κακοῖσι = In trouble, i. e. In crime, and not merely, like Ismene, in the consciousness of crime. Cp. Fr. 843, αἰδὼς γὰρ ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ.

496. mvp-comment-290-1 καλλύνειν Creon affects to regard Antigone's appeal to the higher law as a piece of hypocrisy. Cp. Fr. 845

496. mvp-comment-290-2 κλέπτων δ᾽ ὅταν τις ἐμφανῶς ἐφευρεθῇ, | σιγᾶν ἀνάγκη, κἂν καλὸν φέρῃ στόμα.

497. mvp-comment-291-1 Cp. Eur. Phoen. 1211.

500. mvp-comment-292-1 μηδ' ἀρεσθείη Sc. μηδὲν τῶν σῶν λόγων.

501. mvp-comment-293-1 ἔφυ Are by nature, and so cannot fail to be.

505. mvp-comment-294-1 λέγοιτ' ἄν For the passive, see Essay on Language § 31. P. 54 *ἐγκλείσαι] Cp. supr. 1. 180. Dindorf's correction (with εί for ῄ) is retained in preference to ἐγκλείοι. The future optative is clearly wrong.

506-507. mvp-comment-295-1 These two lines have been considered spurious. But their scornful tone may be compared with supr. 469-470.

509. mvp-comment-296-1 ὑπίλλουσι ἴλλειν (cp. supr. 340) is To move within bounds, or To limit motion. So here, 'They move their lips under your restraint; i. e. They curb their speech under your will.

510. mvp-comment-297-1 τῶνδε .. φρονεῖς; If you hold a course divergent from theirs. Cp. supr. 375, μήτ᾽ ἴσον φρονῶν.

512. mvp-comment-298-1 καταντίον In opposition to him.

514. mvp-comment-299-1 Why then do you honour a service which involves impiety to him? Honour, i. e. By zealously performing it.

515. mvp-comment-300-1 ὁ κατθανών νέκυς Eteocles.

516. mvp-comment-301-1 i. e. If you honour the impious one equally with him.

517. mvp-comment-302-1 For the omission of the participle, see Essay on Language § 23. p. 38.

519. mvp-comment-303-1 τοὺς νόμους τούτους Cp. supr. 452.

519. mvp-comment-303-2 ἴσους, the reading of the corrector of L, rather injures the line by dividing the emphasis, which rests entirely on ὅμως. Essay on Language § 41. p. 76 (4).

520. mvp-comment-304-1 ἴσος Of equal right. ἴσos has the construction of ἄξιος or δίκαιος. Essay on Language § 36. p. 64.

521. mvp-comment-305-1 Who can tell if this be not esteemed pious in the under-world? τάδε, this, which you count impious, the burial of Polynices. Schol., τίς οἶδεν εἰ καθ' Ἅιδου ἀλλήλοις διαλλάσσοντες ἡγοῦνται εὐσεβῆ τάδε. τίς οἶδεν εἰ, like Haud scio an in Latin, suggests an affirmative as possible, as in the lines τίς οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μὲν ἐστι κατθανεῖν | τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν; κάτωθεν, see v. rr., is possibly right.

522-523. mvp-comment-306-1 Creon means that Eteocles must still hate Polynices after death. To which Antigone rejoins, in the line which expresses what is deepest in her, If it be so, his hatred is no rule for me. Creon sees that further argument is useless, and breaks off impatiently with an abrupt sentence of death.

524-525. mvp-comment-307-1 Go, then, to your grave, and there, if you must love them, love the dead below! κείνους, sc. τοὺς κάτω, with particular reference to Polynices.

526-530. mvp-comment-308-1 Here comes Ismene forth, shedding sisterly tears; from clouds above her brow, that moisten her fair cheek, doing disgrace unto her flushed countenance. Cp. Sh Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream, 1. 1, Lys. Why is your cheek so pale? | How chance the roses there do fade so fast? | Herm. Belike, for want of rain, which I could well | Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes. Ant. and Cleo. 3. 2. 52. Il. 17. 591, ἄχεος νεφέλη: Eur. Hipp. 173, ὀφρύων νέφος: Aesch. Prom. 144-145, ὀμίχλα .. πλήρης δακρύων.

527. mvp-comment-309-1 δάκρυ᾽ εἰβομένη is the Triclinian reading for δάκρυα λειβόμενα. δάκρυ λειβομένη has been conjectured. But the construction, with φιλάδελφα adverbial, is less simple and therefore less pathetic. δάκρυα εἰβομένη is read in M³.

529. mvp-comment-310-1 ῥέθος Eur. Η. F. 1204, πάρες ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων | πέπλον . . ῥέθος ἀελίῳ δεῖξον.

531. mvp-comment-311-1 ὡς ἔχιδν᾽ ὑφειμένη Having slid in secretly like a snake; i.e. Like a serpent lurking. For the feeling associated with ὑφίημι, cp. Ο. Τ. 387, ὑφεὶς μάγον τοιόνδε μηχανορράφον.

532. mvp-comment-312-1 ἐξέπινες Cp. Tr. 1055-1056, ῥοφεῖ ξυνοικοῦν· ἐκ δὲ χλωρὸν αἷμά μου | πέπωκεν ἤδη.

533. mvp-comment-313-1 ἄτα κἀπαναστάσεις Abstract for concrete. See Essay on Language p. 94.

533. mvp-comment-313-2 θρόνων, obj. gen. Ib. § 9. p. 12.

536. mvp-comment-314-1 εἴπερ ἥδ᾽ ὁμορροθεῖ The Scholiast has noticed the apparent absurdity of Ismene's adding this condition to her avowal; and Schneidewin alters the line το δέδρακα τοὔργον, εἴπερ ἥδ᾽· ὁμορροθῶ. But the inconsistency is touchingly significant of the irresolute character of Ismene, and of the ascendancy of Antigone's stern nature over hers.

537. mvp-comment-315-1 τῆς αἰτίας is directly governed by ξυμμετίσχω, the notion of participation being silently continued in καὶ φέρω. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 331, πάντων μετασχὼν καὶ τετολμηκὼς ἐμοί.

539. mvp-comment-316-1 οὔτ᾽ ἐγὼ 'κοινωσάμην Supr. 69.

541. mvp-comment-317-1 ξύμπλουν Essay on Language p. 94.

542. mvp-comment-318-1 Antigone's offering to the dead was made in solitude, and without the presence of the sun.

545. mvp-comment-319-1 ἁγνίσαι τιμῆσαι Schol. Ismene means, Though I shrank from the deed, let me share the glory of it by accepting the consequences.

546. mvp-comment-320-1 ἅ = ταῦτα ὧν. Essay on Language § 35. P. 59. μή, ibid. § 29. p. 48.

548. mvp-comment-321-1 τίς βίος i. e. πῶς ὁ βίος; See Essay on Language § 22. p. 36.

549. mvp-comment-322-1 'Ask Creon. He has your care and duty;' i.e. Creon is more to you than your brother is.

551. mvp-comment-323-1 εἰ γέλωτ᾽ ἔν σοι γελῶ Schneidewin's explanation of this line, It is painful to me to be mocking you, my sister, is out of harmony with the tone of Antigone, although it is true that in this line her bitterness is somewhat softened. Either δή, κεἰ must be read, or εἰ explained as = κεἰ. I have grief enough, I assure you, though I laugh a bitter laugh at thee. Cp. 728, εἰ δ' ἐγὼ νέος = Though I am young: Eur. Or. 484, εἰ δὲ δυστυχεῖ, τιμητέος. See Essay on Language § 28. p. 47.

552. mvp-comment-324-1 ἀλλὰ νῦν Essay on Language § 26. p. 43. Par. E suggests ἐπωφελοῖμ᾽.

554. mvp-comment-325-1 κἀμπλάκω i. e. ἢ σώσω ἐμαυτὴν καὶ ἀμπλάκω.

556. mvp-comment-326-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ . . λόγοις But not without my saying what I said, was this choice made. Ismene would clear herself from the imputation of merely shrinking from the attempt through cowardice, or without laying before her sister the grounds of her own conduct, as she had done supr. 49 ff. She also wishes to remind Antigone of ll. 78, 99, which acquit her of indifference towards the dead. But Antigone only recalls the argument against opposing those in power. Wolff compares Eur. Ion 228, ἐπὶ δ' ἀσφάκτοις μήλοις μὴ πάριτε.

557. mvp-comment-327-1 Your counsel seemed wise to these' (Creon, etc., τοῖς ἐνθάδε), but mine to those (Polynices and the powers below, τοῖς ἐκεῖ). The form of the sentence is accommodated to the latter part of it. If the first part were fully expressed it would be ἐδόκεις ἄν. G. Wolff and Wecklein prefer the reading σὺ μὲν σοί. But the opposition of τοῖς μὲν, τοῖς δέ, is more pointed.

558. mvp-comment-328-1 (1) Ismene reiterates, still feebly, what she had asserted in 536-537. Or (2) 'We are both in equal error,'-you against the state, and I against the dead. The first (1) is best. In either case, Antigone rejoins, You need not trouble yourself to make confessions. You are safe.

559-560. mvp-comment-329-1 ἡ δ᾽ ἐμὴ.. ὠφελεῖν My soul has long been with the dead, to do them service. In these words Antigone may be supposed to say, either (1) From the moment when my resolution was taken, my life has been with the dead, devoted in sacrifice to their aid; cp. supr. 72 and note: or (2) I have long been dead to all the joys of life, and am therefore a fit sacrifice to the service of the dead. So Wecklein. Cp. Shak. Merch. of V. 4. 1, I am a tainted wether of the flock, etc. But the former meaning (1) is alone consistent with the betrothal of Antigone to Haemon.

562. mvp-comment-330-1 τὴν δ᾽.. ἔφυ We learn from this line, and from supr. 499-501, that there had never been much sympathy between Antigone and Creon.

563-564. mvp-comment-331-1 The unfortunate never retain even the reason that was born with them, but lose it in distraction. Ismene intends her excuse to cover Antigone.

564. mvp-comment-332-1 Creon echoes κακῶς πράσσουσιν. You lost your wits when you chose to share the guilt of the wicked. Cp. 536 ff., 558.

566. mvp-comment-333-1 Why, what life that deserves the name could be mine in loneliness apart from her?

567. mvp-comment-334-1 Say not "this maiden." She is no longer here. The word ἥδε remains in the nominative. This often happens when a word is quoted with the article; which, however, is elsewhere omitted in similar cases, as for instance when the word so quoted is the predicate of a sentence. Cp. Plato, Theaet. 164 Β, τὸ δέ γε οὐχ ὁρᾷ οὐκ ἐπίσταταί ἐστιν, εἴπερ καὶ τὸ ὁρᾷ ἐπίσταται, where ἐπίσταται is equally out of construction with ἥδε in this line.

568. mvp-comment-335-1 νυμφεῖα Essay on Language p. 94.

569. mvp-comment-336-1 Ср. О. Т. 1211, 1497-1498, foll.

570. mvp-comment-337-1 Not as their hearts were plighted. Literally, Not in such a way as harmony had been prepared between him and her. Cp. Pind. Pyth. 9.13, ξυνὸν ἁρμόζοισα θεῷ τε γάμον κούρᾳ θ' Ὑψέος εὐρυβία.

571. mvp-comment-338-1 The plural generalizes the expression.

571. mvp-comment-338-2 υἱέσι Dative of the person interested.

572. mvp-comment-339-1 *AN. The MSS. have ΙΣ. But Böckh has given strong reasons for following Aldus in assigning the line to Antigone. The last speech of Creon might well move her to break silence, which she does naturally by resenting the words not for herself, but for Haemon. There is also greater bitterness in this line than in any speech of Ismene. Then, granting that τὸ σὸν λέχος, addressed to Ismene, might mean The marriage you prate of, the words express a much deeper feeling as addressed to Antigone. Outwardly a mere expression of impatience, they convey the only touch of natural feeling which Creon betrays. 574 and 576 are then most naturally given to the chorus. The act of Creon in sacrificing his son's happiness is more solemnly marked when his words are addressed to the coryphaeus. While adhering to this view I am bound to add that some of the best critics prefer the other arrangement of the persons.

577. mvp-comment-340-1 καὶ σοί γε κάμοί Sc. δεδογ μένα: i. e. σὺ μὲν οὕτω δοκεῖς, ἐμοὶ δὲ δέδοκται. We are agreed so far.

577. mvp-comment-340-2 τριβάς Sc. ποιείσθε. Essay on Language §39. p. 74.

578. mvp-comment-341-1 'Henceforth these must be really women, and not left at large;' i. e. They must be treated as women. Cp. l. 484. This reading, although defaced in L, may well be defended against such would-be improvements as εὖ δὲ τάσδε χρὴ | γυναῖκας εἶλαι (Dind.), and εὖ δετὰς δὲ χρὴ | γυναῖκας εἶναι (Seyffert), which are to be condemned, amongst other reasons, for destroying the singleness of the emphasis. Creon, as usual, covers his self-will under the appearance of principle. Cp. Plat. Legg. 1.637, ταχὺ γάρ σου λάβοιτ᾽ ἄν τις τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν ἀμυνόμενος, δεικνὺς τὴν τῶν γυναικῶν παρ' ὑμῖν ἄνεσιν : Ar. Pol. 2. 6. The words indicate that Antigone's going beyond the gate, supr. 18, 19, was an exceptional freedom, consequent on the war. Thus Sophocles is contented with a hint, where Euripides thinks an explanation necessary: Phoen. 89-91.

582. mvp-comment-342-1 The fate of Antigone is sealed, and the chorus moralize over the power of fate and of Zeus, as shown in the continued calamities of the race of Labdacus, and the infatuation ('quem Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ') of Antigone. The spectator is left free to apply the same reflections to the case of Creon.

582. mvp-comment-342-2 'Calamity is like a storm that stirs the lowest depths and sounds afar. The race once touched is never free. Each generation as it rises is struck down.

582. mvp-comment-342-3 'The house of Labdacus has sorrow upon sorrow. Amidst the ruined grove one root was springing, only to be swept under by the cruel dues of Hades in a frenzy of infatuation.

582. mvp-comment-342-4 Who can restrain the power of Zeus? Unchecked by sleep or age he ever dwells in the light of Olympus. This was and shall be now and evermore, a truth that spareth not the lives of men, whom hope deceives, giving comfort indeed, but also inspiring passionate folly, till disappointment comes, before the man hath seen that he is treading on fire. Wise was he who said that evil seemeth good to one whom God is drawing to perdition. Few are the days of his exemption from that dark lot.

582. mvp-comment-342-5 The 1st strophe opens solemnly with three dactylo-epitritic or Doric lines, which are followed by iambic and trochaic rhythms. The 2nd strophe is logaoedic, with syncope of thesis in ll. 3, 5, 7, 11 a'. β'. ILCCICcl alcl- LullLCClcclcla 10101010 51-1 CLL下CICLI トCICICI CCICCICLI 1101007ID トトー CCCII 100II

582. mvp-comment-342-6 οἶσι .. αἰών Whose life is free from taste of misery. Blessed, because of the rarity of their lot, and because of the unsparing persistence of calamity when it comes to any. For κακῶν ἄγευστος, cp. Ο. Τ. 969, ἄψαυστος ἔγχους.

583. mvp-comment-343-1 θεόθεν The adverb of place supports the metaphor of a storm coming from a certain quarter. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 1089, ῥιπὴ Διόθεν.

583-584. mvp-comment-344-1 ἄτας | οὐδὲν ἐλλείπει Cp. l. 2, ff.

585. mvp-comment-345-1 ἔρπον The real subject of this is πᾶσα ἄτη (or τὸ πᾶν ἄτης) implied in the preceding words, the positive being educed from the negative. Calamity stints not, but goes on till it fulfils the number of the race.

586-589. mvp-comment-346-1 ὅμοιον.. πνοαῖς Like as when the billow courses over the darkening deep before fell Thracian blasts from the Euxine sea. Some interpreters make ἔρεβος subj, and οἶδμα obj. of ἐπιδράμῃ, when the darkening wave courses over the main. But οἶδμα elsewhere in Sophocles is not the expanse (aequor) but the swelling of the sea, and ἔρεβος ὕφαλον can hardly be anything else than the nether darkness of the deep. For the accumulation of adjectives, see Essay on Language § 23. p. 37. Seyffert reads ὡς προποντίδος. 589 ff. It rolls from depths below the black tempestuous drift. 591. And the cliffs, returning the shock, groaningly resound.'

586-589. mvp-comment-346-2 δυσάνεμον A sign of tempest, 'Associated with bad winds, because only seen when the wind has been blowing hard on shore. Ventorum vehementiorum comitem.' Musgr. 593, foll. From of old I see with pain' (ὁρῶμαι, ethical middle, Essay on Language § 31. p. 52) 'the calamities of the house of Labdacus accumulating on the calamities of those that are gone; nor does one generation free another, but some god casts them down; nor is there hope of redemption.'

586-589. mvp-comment-346-3 ἀρχαῖα has the stress as suppl. predicate. Essay on Language § 23. p. 38.

595. mvp-comment-347-1 The reading of this line has been much questioned, but the meaning is clear, although it is uncertain what word (whether φθιτῶν or some other) has been supplanted by the unmetrical φθιμένων: which may be due to a reminiscence of Aesch. Cho. 403. 4, παρὰ τῶν πρότερον φθιμένων ἄτην | ἑτέραν ἐπάγουσαν ἐπ᾿ ἄτῃ.

596. mvp-comment-348-1 γενεὰν γένος There is no distinction of meaning (such as One generation, .. 'The whole race'). Cp. O. C. 27, 28, ἐξοικήσιμος .. οἰκητός.

596. mvp-comment-348-2 ἐρείπει Sc. γενεὰν ἑκάστην. Cp. infra 601, κατ᾽ αὖ νιν, κ.τ.λ.

597. mvp-comment-349-1 οὐδ᾽ ἔχει Nor does the case admit of. Cp. Ο. C. 545, ἔχει δέ μοι ..

597. mvp-comment-349-2 πρὸς δίκας τι.

600. mvp-comment-350-1 ῥίζας Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὅπερ ἔβλαστεν ἄνω τῆς ῥίζης, Schol. The root, for the plant.

600. mvp-comment-350-2 *ἐτέτατο The Scholiast notes the asyndeton (λείπει ἄρθρον τὸ ὅ): which is expressive and allows viv to be referred to ῥίζας, to which it naturally belongs. And in the reading ῥίζας δ τέτατο, the order of words is questionable. For ἐτέτατο φάος, cp. Phil. 831, αἴγλαν, ἃ τέταται τανῦν. The light is the grace and nobleness of Antigone, and her bright hopes. The conj. θάλος, for which, cp. Pind. Οl. 2. 45, Ἀδραστιδᾶν θάλος, is uncalled for.

601. mvp-comment-351-1 κατ' was rightly restored by Triclinius for κατ' (ⅰ.e. καὶ εἶτα), which had been introduced to avoid the asvndeton. (Schol. ἐάν στίξωμεν κᾷτ᾽ αὖ νιν, οὐδὲν λείπει τῷ λόγῳ.)

602-603. mvp-comment-352-1 ἀμᾷ θερίζει καὶ ἐκκόπτει. ἢ καλύπτει, Schol. The latter is right.

602-603. mvp-comment-352-2 Ας καταμᾶσθαι κόνιν is ‘Το cover oneself with dust,' so, by a poetical inversion, the dust may be said καταμᾶν, To cover, or Sweep out of sight. Essay on Language § 42. р. 80, β.

603. mvp-comment-353-1 λόγου τ᾽ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐριvús The reasoning of Antigone in 450 ff. seems wild to the chorus, and her conduct shows her to them as possessed with a fatal frenzy. It may be thought strange that κόνις should be retained against a reading which has been so generally ap- proved as κόπις, first suggested by Jortin. But see Essay on Language pp. 92, 93. The grotesque image of Death, or Hades, armed with a bloody chopper or cleaver, however agreeable to the manner of Euripides, or some other poets, has no parallel in the language of Sophocles. And the transition from this concrete imagery to the spirits of fury and madness is, to say the least, awkwardly abrupt. The words λόγου τ᾽ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐρινύς are most natural if they are added to expand an obscure allusion to the deed which had brought Antigone into danger. And the words φοινία θεῶν τῶν νερτέρων .. κόνις, The deadly dust sacred to the gods below, convey such an allusion not more obscurely than do the words in Tr. 836 ff., δεινοτάτῳ μὲν ὕδρας προστετακὼς φάσματι, κ.τ.λ., express the condition of Heracles in the poisoned robe. Triclinius was therefore not absurd in saying εἰκότως δὲ τὸ κόνις τέθειται. διότι γὰρ ἐκάλυψεν Ἀντιγόνη ἀδελφὸν Πολυνείκην κόνει, διὰ τοῦτο τεθνήξεσθαι ἔμελλε.

604. mvp-comment-354-1 This is suggested by the position of Antigone, whose offence brings swift retribution; but is felt by the spectator to be more applicable to that of Creon.

604-605. mvp-comment-355-1 τίς .. κατάσχοι Essay on Language §36. p. 62. Ср. O. T. 937, and esp. Pind. Οl. 11. 20, 1, ἐμφυὲς οὔτ᾽ αἴθων ἀλώπηξ | οὐδ᾽ ἐρίβρομοι λέοντες διαλλάξαιντο ἦθος.

606. mvp-comment-356-1 Not slumber that brings age to all things.' Cp. Hom. Il. 14. 242, where Sleep says, ἄλλον μέν κεν ἔγωγε θεῶν αἰειγενετάων | ῥεῖα κατευνήσαιμι, καὶ ἂν ποταμοῖο ῥέεθρα | Ὠκεανοῦ, ὅσπερ γένεσις πάντεσσι τέτυκται | Ζηνὸς δ' οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε Κρονίονος ἆσσον ἱκοίμην, οὐδὲ κατευνήσαιμ᾽, ὅτε μὴ αὐτός γε κελεύοι. For αἱρεῖ, cp. Il. 24.5, οὐδέ μιν ὕπνος ἥρει πανδαμάτωρ: Od. 9. 372, κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος ἥρει πανδαμάτωρ. The conjecture of Bamberger, παντοθήρας, is plausible. But for the closeness of the association between Age and Sleep, cp. O. T. 870-871, οὐδὲ λάθα κατακοιμάσει .. οὐδὲ γηράσκει.

607-608. mvp-comment-357-1 The reading adopted involves the simplest change which avoids a breach of metrical rules. Others suppose, the loss of a syllable after θεῶν, reading ἄκοποι for ἀκάματοι, with ἕρπει in the fourth line of the antistrophe. For θεῶν added as a sort of epithet = Divine, cp. supra 454, 369: Ο. Τ. 647 : Αj. 711, θεῶν.. πάνθυτα θέσμια : Phil. 198: also Tr. 1191, Ζηνός. The indefiniteness of this use obviates the objection of Schneidewin, that the months of the Gods are opposed to Zeus, who is generally the orderer of time, as in Hom. Il. 2. 134, Διὸς μεγάλου ἐνιαυτοί. There is possibly, however, in θεῶν some allusion to the heavenly bodies, who, as Plato says, are the ὄργανα χρόνου.

608. mvp-comment-358-1 ἀγήρῳ δὲ χρόνῳ δυνάστας With power whose duration is untouched by age. For the personification of χρόνος, see Essay on Language pp. 81, 82. The reading ἀγήρως seems to be of some antiquity, and is embodied in one of the Scholia.

610. mvp-comment-359-1 αἴγλαν Cp. Hom. Il. 1. 532, ἀπ᾿ αἰγλήεντος Ὀλύμπου. The conception of Olympus is here more Homeric than elsewhere in Sophocles. See on O. T. 867, О. С. 1655.

611-612. mvp-comment-360-1 τό τ᾽ ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον καὶ τὸ πρίν] Cp. Thuc. 2. 64, § 8.

613. mvp-comment-361-1 The reading οὐδὲν *ἕρπων is to some extent confirmed by the Scholium ση πάμπολις, ὁ κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν ἕρπων νόμος, and is the most probable of the emendations of this passage. It has been supposed that οὐδὲν ἔρπει, and also ἐκτὸς ἄτας, have crept in from below; but this stasimon is peculiarly full of verbal echoes. See Essay on Language § 44. p. 76. This principle' (the sovereignty of Zeus) will last the coming time, and the time to come, as well as the time past, never swerving, as it moves onwards, from calamity to the life of mortals in all their cities. Lit. Coming to the life of mortals (a law of every city) in no respect out of the way of calamity. οὐδέν, adverbial.

613. mvp-comment-361-2 βιότῳ, dat. of reference (Essay on Language § 12. p. 18). πάμπολις, universal, i.e. law not of any one state, but embracing all. For ἕρπων ἐκτὸς ἅτας θνατῶν βιότῳ, cp. infra l. 1318: ἐμᾶς.. ἐξ αἰτίας (= ἐκτὸς αἰτίας ἐμοί): Ο. C. 1575, ἐν καθαρῷ βῆναι .. τῷ ξένῳ: Essay on Language § 42. p. 79.

615. mvp-comment-362-1 πολύπλαγκτος There is no clear instance of an active use of πολύπλαγκτος, for in Hom. Il. 13. 308, έξ ἀνέμοιο πολυπλάγκτοιο ἰωῆς, The fartravelled wind, is a probable enough meaning. Cp. Shakespeare's Empty, vast, and wandering air. So here Widely roving' is better than Muchdeceiving.' Cp. infr. 785-786.

617. mvp-comment-363-1 ἀπάτα . . ἐρώτων ἐρώτων is not genitive of object, but of cause: not Disappointment of desire, but De ception through desire. To many, hope is but the deceitfulness of winged desire.

618. mvp-comment-364-1 εἰδότι δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἕρπει And it comes to him all at unaware, i. e. The event or calamity comes. For the vague subject, cp. supra 597, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει λύσιν, and note. This is better than Nothing befals him while he is aware. 619. Till his foot be scorched in the hot blaze.' For the insertion of τις in the second clause, cp. Aj. 964, τἀγαθὸν χεροῖν | ἔχοντες οὐκ ἴσασι πρίν τις ἐκ βάλῃ : Τr. 2, 3, ὡς οὐκ ἂν αἰῶν᾽ ἐκμάθοις βροτῶν, πρὶν ἂν θάνῃ τις. Seidler's conj. προσαύρῃ is less good than the reading of L.

620. mvp-comment-365-1 σοφίᾳ Dative of manner. Essay on Language § 14. p. 20, 2.

625. mvp-comment-366-1 πράσσει, SC. ὁ τοιοῦτος, supr. l. 619, τις, l. 623 , τῷδ'. Cp. Aesch. ap. Plat. Rep. 2, p. 380 Α, θεὸς μὲν αἰτίαν φύει βροτοῖς | ὅταν κακῶσαι δῶμα παμπήδην θέλει.

625. mvp-comment-366-2 ὀλιγοστόν ὀλίγιστον has been read, and is possibly the Ist hand of L; see v. rr. But ὀλιγοστός χρόνος may mean a time that is one of few, i. e. one that comes rarely or seldom. πολλοστός in Legg. 10. 896 B, is not small, but many times removed, and has the force of a superlative, as it has also in Phileb. 44 E, where it means minutest.

626-627. mvp-comment-367-1 See Essay on Language § 40. p. 75.

628. mvp-comment-368-1 νύμφης had probably been written over μελλογάμου or τάλιδος as a gloss. The words τῆς μελλογάμου νύμφης are omitted in VM¹. This whole expression may have been a gloss on τάλιδος, or on τῆς μελλονύμφου φου infr. 633.

629. mvp-comment-369-1 μόρον Ε. on L. § 16. p. 23.

630. mvp-comment-370-1 ἀπάτας (1) Gen. of cause; or (2) with ὑπερ. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 260.

631. mvp-comment-371-1 μαντέων ὑπέρτερον Better than a seer could tell us. Creon thus vents his impatience at the anticipation of the chorus, and also indicates his scorn of prophecy. Cp. infr. 1034 ff.

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Creon 631 Statim sciemus, quovis augure certius. O nate, num, auditis quae in sponsam decreta sunt, patri infensus ades,, an vero, quidquid egerimus, sumus tibi cari?

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KREON Ein schnödes Ehweib für den Sohn ist Gräuel mir.

CREONTE 631 Pronto lo sabremos de él, mejor que de cualquier adivino. ¡Hijo!, ¿acaso, al enterarte del irrevocable decreto acerca de tu futura esposa, vienes rabioso contra tu padre, o soy de ti siempre querido de cualquier modo que proceda?

CR Enter HAEMON . 631 We shall know soon, better than seers could teach us. Can it be so, my son, that thou art brought By mad distemperature against thy sire, On hearing of the irrevocable doom Passed on thy promised bride? Or is thy love Thy father’s, be his actions what they may?

Niedergeschmettert zur dröhnenden Erde stürzt' er, Welcher, bewehrt mit der Fackel, in trunk nem Wahnsinn, 135 In wuthathmendem Drang, Wild herschnob mit feindlichem Sturm. Doch es ging anders aus; Andern beschied anderes Loos Ares, der Held, der die Bedrängten Stürmend davontrieb. 140

CREONTE En verdad que tú y el tal himeneo me van fatigando ya en demasía.

CHOR Uns, wenn uns nicht im Finstern hält die Zeit, Scheint das mit Sinn gesagt, wovon du redest.

Creon 631 We shall know soon, better than seers could tell us—My son, hearing the fixed doom of thy betrothed, art thou come in rage against thy father? Or have I thy good will, act how I may?

Chorus 853 Thy daring was extreme, and thy offence 'Gainst the high throne of justice. O my child, O'er thee some trespass of thy father hangs!***

Chorus That is your will, Creon, towards this city’s enemy and its friend. And the power is yours, I believe, to make use of every law whatsoever, both concerning the dead and all us who live.

Creon See, then, that you be guardians of my commands. 215

Chorus Lay the weight of this task on some younger man.

Creon That is not what I meant—the guards for the corpse are already in place.

Chorus Then what is this other command that you would give?

Creon That you not give way to the breakers of my commands.

Chorus There is no one so foolish as to crave death. 220

Creon I assure you, that is the wage for disobedience. Yet by just the hope of it, money has many times corrupted men.

Creon And what is it that so disheartens you?

Guard I want to tell you first about myself—I did not do the deed, nor did I see the doer, so it would be wrong that I should come to any harm. 240

Creon Like a bowman you aim well at your target from a distance, and all around you hedge yourself off well from the deed. It is clear that you have some unheard-of thing to tell.

Guard That I do, for terrible news imposes great hesitation.

Creon Then tell it, will you, and so unburdened go away?

Guard Well, here it is. The corpse—some one has just given it burial and disappeared after sprinkling thirsty dust on the flesh and performing the other rites that piety demands. 245

Creon What are you saying? What man dared do this?

Chorus My king, my thoughts have long been deliberating whether this deed is somehow the work of gods?

Guard Will you allow me to speak? Or shall I just turn and go? 315

Creon Do you not know even now how much your voice sickens me?

Guard Is the pain in your ears, or in your soul?

Creon And why would you define the seat of my pain?

Guard He who did it hurts your heart, but I, your ears.

Creon God! How plain it is that you are a born babbler. 320

Guard Perhaps, but never the author of this action.

Creon Yes, and what is more, you sold your life for silver.

Guard Ah! It is truly sad when the judge judges wrong .

Creon Expound on judgment as you will. But, if you fail to show me the perpetrators of these crimes, you will avow that money basely earned wreaks sorrows. Exit Creon. 325

Guard Well, may the man be found! That would be best. But, whether he be caught or not—for fortune must decide that—I assure you that you will not see me come here again. Saved just now beyond hope and belief, I owe the gods great thanks. Exit the Guard. 330

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Creon

631 Statim sciemus, quovis augure certius. O nate, num, auditis quae in sponsam decreta sunt, patri infensus ades,, an vero, quidquid egerimus, sumus tibi cari?

KREON

Ein schnödes Ehweib für den Sohn ist Gräuel mir.

CREONTE

631 Pronto lo sabremos de él, mejor que de cualquier adivino. ¡Hijo!, ¿acaso, al enterarte del irrevocable decreto acerca de tu futura esposa, vienes rabioso contra tu padre, o soy de ti siempre querido de cualquier modo que proceda?

CR
Enter HAEMON . 631

We shall know soon, better than seers could teach us.

Can it be so, my son, that thou art brought

By mad distemperature against thy sire,

On hearing of the irrevocable doom

Passed on thy promised bride? Or is thy love

Thy father’s, be his actions what they may?

Niedergeschmettert zur dröhnenden Erde stürzt' er,

Welcher, bewehrt mit der Fackel, in trunk nem Wahnsinn,
135

In wuthathmendem Drang,

Wild herschnob mit feindlichem Sturm.

Doch es ging anders aus;

Andern beschied anderes Loos Ares, der Held, der die Bedrängten

Stürmend davontrieb.
140

CREONTE

En verdad que tú y el tal himeneo me van fatigando ya en demasía.

CHOR

Uns, wenn uns nicht im Finstern hält die Zeit,

Scheint das mit Sinn gesagt, wovon du redest.

Creon

631 We shall know soon, better than seers could tell us—My son, hearing the fixed doom of thy betrothed, art thou come in rage against thy father? Or have I thy good will, act how I may?

Chorus
853

Thy daring was extreme, and thy offence

'Gainst the high throne of justice. O my child,

O'er thee some trespass of thy father hangs!***

Chorus

That is your will, Creon, towards this city’s enemy and its friend. And the power is yours, I believe, to make use of every law whatsoever, both concerning the dead and all us who live.

Creon

See, then, that you be guardians of my commands.
215

Chorus

Lay the weight of this task on some younger man.

Creon

That is not what I meant—the guards for the corpse are already in place.

Chorus

Then what is this other command that you would give?

Creon

That you not give way to the breakers of my commands.

Chorus

There is no one so foolish as to crave death.
220

Creon

I assure you, that is the wage for disobedience. Yet by just the hope of it, money has many times corrupted men.

Creon

And what is it that so disheartens you?

Guard

I want to tell you first about myself—I did not do the deed, nor did I see the doer,

so it would be wrong that I should come to any harm.
240

Creon

Like a bowman you aim well at your target from a distance, and all around you hedge yourself off well from the deed. It is clear that you have some unheard-of thing to tell.

Guard

That I do, for terrible news imposes great hesitation.

Creon

Then tell it, will you, and so unburdened go away?

Guard

Well, here it is. The corpse—some one has just given it burial and disappeared after sprinkling thirsty dust on the flesh and performing the other rites that piety demands.
245

Creon

What are you saying? What man dared do this?

Chorus

My king, my thoughts have long been deliberating whether this deed is somehow the work of gods?

Guard

Will you allow me to speak? Or shall I just turn and go?
315

Creon

Do you not know even now how much your voice sickens me?

Guard

Is the pain in your ears, or in your soul?

Creon

And why would you define the seat of my pain?

Guard

He who did it hurts your heart, but I, your ears.

Creon

God! How plain it is that you are a born babbler.
320

Guard

Perhaps, but never the author of this action.

Creon

Yes, and what is more, you sold your life for silver.

Guard

Ah! It is truly sad when the judge judges wrong .

Creon

Expound on judgment as you will. But, if you fail to

show me the perpetrators of these crimes, you will avow that money basely earned wreaks sorrows. Exit Creon.
325

Guard

Well, may the man be found! That would be best. But, whether he be caught or not—for fortune must decide that—I assure you that you will not see me come here again.

Saved just now beyond hope and belief, I owe the gods great thanks. Exit the Guard.
330