1-17.
mvp-comment-1-1
The opening speeches reveal the contrast between the sisters, while the affectionate address of Antigone in l. 1 gives greater emphasis to her violent outbreak in l. 69. Cp. О. Т. 85, and note.
1.
mvp-comment-2-1
κοινόν not only means
Of common parentage, but has the further significance of common interests and feelings. See Essay on Language p. 96, and for αὐτάδελφον (where the compound merely adds a pathetic emphasis), Essay on Language p. 91, 6.
Ismene, my own sister, who sharest all with me. Antigone and Ismene were united by a common grief in an affection
Dearer than the natural bond of sisters.
2-3.
mvp-comment-3-1
(1)
Do you know, that of the ills derived from Oedipus there is not one which Zeus will not bring upon us two before we die? ὁποῖον οὐχί is the indirect form of ποῖον οὐχί ; =
all without exception. So Böckh: and this agrees better with what follows in ll. 7, 9, 10, 11 ff. than (2) reading ὅ, τι with the Schol. and rendering, 'Know'st thou which of the evils is such that Zeus will not accomplish it?' or (3) (ὁποῖον α resumption of ὅ, τι), 'Know'st thou what of all the evil Zeus will not accomplish?' or (4) supposing ὅτι pleonastic: 'Know'st thou what' etc.
2-3.
mvp-comment-3-2
τῶν ἀπ᾿ Οἰδίπου Oedipus in the Antigone is simply the author of misery to his race: infr. 49 ff., 864 ff., although the misery has an earlier source in the Doom of the Labdacidae. The action of the O. T. and O. C. must not be presupposed. See Introd. p. 452.
3.
mvp-comment-4-1
vῷv is dative. (Essay on Language § 12. p. 18). For ἔτι ζώσαιν, cp. Hom. Il. 18. 10, Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο | χερσὶν ὑπὸ Τρώων λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο.
4.
mvp-comment-5-1
ἄτης †ἄτερ Neither the defence of these words by Böckh, who places them between commas,
Calamity apart, i.e.
no disgrace, not to speak of calamity, (cp. Dem. de Cor. p. 255); nor that of Wecklein, who treats the privative as a redundant negative, i. e.
4.
mvp-comment-5-2
ἄτερ = οὐ πλέων, nor Linwood's, who makes ἀλγεινὸν οὔτ᾽ ἄτης ἄτερ = άλγεινὸν ἀτηρόν τε, is satisfactory. Yet Didymus knew of no other reading, and interlinear glosses before the Christian era can hardly be assumed. Else there is much plausibility in Porson's conjecture that a gloss ἀτηρ', i. e. ἀτηρόν, has taken the place of ἔχον (sc. μετέχον), or some other word. The corruption occurring at such an early period is more probably due to the confusion to which all negative expressions are liable (Essay on Language § 29. 2, p. 49), but which in the present instance cannot be attributed to the poet; i. e. οὐδὲν ἀτηρόν ἐσθ᾽ ὁποῖον οὐκ ὄπωπα, has become confused in the mind of some early interpreter with οὐδέν ἐσθ᾽ ὁποῖον οὐκ ἀτηρόν = οὐδέν ἐστ᾽ ἄτης ἄτερ. Qy. ἄτης πλέων? The emphasis culminates on ἄτιμον, which pointedly refers to the dishonour she is now to speak of.
6.
mvp-comment-6-1
τῶν.. κακῶν, partitive genitive, as supplementary predicate. See Essay on Language § 10. p. 15.
7-8.
mvp-comment-7-1
πανδήμῳ.. στρατηγόν The Thebans had gone forth πανδημεί under Creon's generalship, and he had made the proclamation as στρατηγός, before assuming the civil power. Cp. Thuc. 5. 60, § 5, τὰς ἀπὸ στρατείας δίκας πρὶν ἐσιέναι κρίνουσιν. The publicity of the edict makes it more painful. Antigone knows what she is doing. Infr. 44, 907.
9.
mvp-comment-8-1
τι is adverbial.
10.
mvp-comment-9-1
τῶν ἐχθρῶν
When evils devised by enemies are threatening those we love. In the vehemence of her resentment she already speaks of Creon as an enemy. Cp. infr. 62. τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακά, Schol. According to others τῶν ἐχθρῶν is abl. gen.
passing from enemies, i.e. no longer directed towards them, or descriptive,
evils which belong to enemies, i. e. which should be confined to them.
