Sophocles Antigone 77

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Antigone

450 Yes; for it was not Zeus that had published me that edict; not such are the laws set among men by the Justice who dwells with the gods below; nor deemed I that thy decrees were of such force, that a mortal could override the unwritten and unfailing statutes of heaven. For their life is not of to-day or yesterday, but from all time, and no man knows when they were first put forth. Not through dread of any human pride could I 460 answer to the gods for breaking these. Die I must,— I knew that well (how should I not?)—even without thy edicts. But if Iam to die before my time, I count that a gain: for when any one lives, as I do, compassed about with evils, can such an one find aught but gain in death? OE A A EB om a DON So for me to meet this doom is trifling grief; but if I had suffered my mother’s son to lie in death an unburied corpse, that would have grieved me; for this, I am not grieved. And if my present deeds are foolish 470 in thy sight, it may be that a foolish judge arraigns my folly.

Antigone. Sophocles. Cambridge, UK. 1904.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 77.mvp-line-77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ’ ἀτιμάσασ’ ἔχε.

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 77.mvp-line-77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμʼ ἀτιμάσασʼ ἔχε.

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 77 focus

τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἔντιμ᾽ ἀτιμάσασ᾽ ἔχε.

Translations (10)

German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 77 focus

WÄCHTER

und greifen rasch sie; ruhig bleibt sie und gefafst.
420

Und jener frühern und der jetzt vollbrachten That

beziehen wir sie: nichts verläugnend stand sie da.

Das ist mir wahrlich Freude, wenn auch Schmerz zugleich.

Denn selber aus Unglückes Noth entronnen seyn

ist sehr erfreulich; doch in Unglück ziehn den Freund
425

ist schmerzlich: aber minder gilt nach meiner Art

mir dennoch alles dieses als mein eigen Wohl.

Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 77 focus

ANTIGONA

Como que no era Júpiter quien me las habia había promulgado; ni tampoco Justicia, la compañera de los dioses infernales, ha impuesto esas leyes a los hombres; ni creí yo que tus decretos tuvieran fuerza para borrar e invalidar las leyes divinas, de manera que un mortal pudiese quebrantarlas. Pues no son de hoy ni de ayer, sino que siempre han estado en vigor y nadie sabe cuándo aparecieron. Por esto no debia debía yo, por temor al castigo de ningún hombre, violarlas para exponerme a sufrir el castigo de los dioses. Sabia Sabía que tenía que morir, ¿cómo no?, aunque tú no lo hubieses pregonado. Y si muero antes de tiempo, eso creo yo que gano; pues quien viva, como yo, en medio de tantas desgracias, ¿cómo no lleva ganancia en la muerte? Así que para mi no es pena ninguna el alcanzar muerte violenta; pero lo sería si hubiese tolerado que quedara insepulto el cadáver de mi difunto hermano: eso sí que lo hubiera sentido; esto no me aflige. Y si ahora te parece que soy necia por lo que he hecho, puedo decir que de necia soy acusada por un necio.

Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 77 focus

Antigone

Non enim eas mihi Iupiter statuerat, nec, quae diis Manibus adsidet, Iustitia, qui hasce mortalibus sanxerunt leges; nec tantum valere credidi tua edicta, ut non scriptas firmasque deûm leges, mortalis quum sis, queas convellere. Non enim heri fixae illae sunt aut nudius tertius, sed vigent ab omni aevo, nec quisquam novit, quam dudum prodierint. Has quod violassem, cuiusvis hominis fastu perterrita, sane non debui diis poenas luere. Morituram enim me sciebam, quippini? etiam si tu non indixisses: quod si ante tempus moriar, id esse in lucro deputo. Quicumque enim in multis, ut ego, miseriis vitam degit, si mortem oppetat, qui non ille lucrum ferat? Sic sane mihi fatum hoc nancisci nihil dolet; at si matris meae filium insepultum sustinuissem, id mihi doleret: hisce autem quae feci, non doleo; tibi vero si videor stulte fecisse, propemodum dixerim , stulti iudi- €io stulta sum.

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 77 focus

ANT

I heard it not from Heaven, nor came it forth
450

From Justice, where she reigns with Gods below.

They too have published to mankind a law.

Nor thought I thy commandment of such might

That one who is mortal thus could overbear

The infallible, unwritten laws of Heaven.
455

Not now or yesterday they have their being,

But everlastingly, and none can tell

The hour that saw their birth. I would not, I,

For any terror of a man’s resolve,

Incur the God-inflicted penalty
460

Of doing them wrong. That death would come, I knew

Without thine edict;—if before the time,

I count it gain. Who does not gain by death,

That lives, as I do, amid boundless woe?

Slight is the sorrow of such doom to me.
465

But had I suffered my own mother’s child,

Fallen in blood, to be without a grave,

That were indeed a sorrow. This is none.

And if thou deem’st me foolish for my deed,

I am foolish in the judgement of a fool.
470

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 69 focus

Nicht mehr verlang' ich's, möchte dich zur Helferin

Nicht mehr, erklärtest du dich auch bereit dazu.
70

Nein, wähle deinem Sinne nach: ihn werd' ich selbst

Bestatten; ruhmvoll ist der Tod für diese That.

Bei ihm, dem Lieben, werd' ich ruh'n, die Liebende,

Die frommen Frevel übte; muß ich länger doch

Den Todten dort gefallen, als den Lebenden.
75

Denn dort ja ruh' ich ewig; du, wenn dir's gefällt,

Entehre, was in Ehre selbst bei Göttern steht.

Ich acht' es auch der Ehre werth; indeß der Stadt

Zum Troz zu handeln, fühl ich mich nicht stark genug.

Antigone.

So wende du das vor; doch ich geh' unverweilt,
80

Und schütt' ein Grab dem heißgeliebten Bruder auf.

Ismene.

Tollkühne, weh mir! Ha, wie fürcht' ich deinethalb!

Antigone.

Sei nicht um mich bang; sich're du nur dein Geschick!

Ismene.

Doch offenbare ja zuvor Niemand die That;

Im Dunkel birg' sie; gerne schweig' auch ich davon.
85

Antigone.

Ha, laut verkünd' es! Viel verhaßter wirst du mir

Durch Schweigen, offenbarst du's nicht vor aller Welt.

Ismene.

Dir wallt der Busen glühend, wo mich Schauder faßt.

Antigone.

Doch weiß ich hold mir, deren Huld mein Höchstes iſt.

Ismene.

Wenn du's vermöchtest; doch du willst Unmögliches.
90

Nun freilich, wenn ich's nicht vermag, so lass' ich ab.

Auch nicht von Anfang jage nach Unmöglichem.

Antigone.

Durch solche Reden wirst du billig mir verhaßt,

Und billig hassen wird dich auch der Todte dort.

Nein, laß du mich und meines Sinnes Unverstand
95

Dies Grauenvolle dulden. Was ich Schweres auch¹

Erleiden möge, bleibt mir doch ein schöner Tod.

Ismene.

Nun, wenn dir's gut dünkt, ziehe hin: ächt schwesterlich

Als Schwester fühlend gehst du, wenn als Thörin auch.

(Sie gehen nach verschiedenen Seiten ab. Der Chor tritt auf.) Erste Strophe.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 77 focus

Creon
471cont2

Sprung from a sire perverse and obstinate,

Like him she cannot bend beneath misfortune ;

But know, the proudest hearts may be subdued ;
475

Hast thou not marked the hardest steel by fire

Made soft and flexible ? Myself have seen

By a slight rein the fiery courser held.

"Ks not for slaves to be so haughty ; yet

This proud offender, not content, it seems,
480

To violate my laws, adds crime to crime,

Smiles at my threats, and glories in her guilt ;

If I should suffer her to 'scape my vengeance,

She were the man, not I ; but though she sprang
485

E'en from my sister, were I bound to her

By ties more dear than is Hercsean Jove,

She should not 'scape. Her sister too I find

Accomplice in the deed — go, call her forth !

She is within, I saw her ra\dng there,
490

Her senses lost, the common fate of those

Who practise dark and deadly wickedness.

I cannot bear to see the guilty stand

Convicted of their crimes, and yet pretend

To gloss them o'er with specious names of virtue.

Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 77 focus

EL CENTINELA

407 El hecho ha ocurrido así. Bajo el terror de tus tremendas conminaciones, llegamos allá y barrimos la tierra que cubría el cadáver. Después que dejamos enteramente descubierto aquel cuerpo ya en corrupción, subimos á sentarnos en lo alto de las colinas, al abrigo del viento, y huyendo de los fétidos miasmas. Excitámonos unos á otros á la vigilancia, conminando á todo el que pudiera descuidar la faena. En tal estado permanecimos hasta el momento en que el disco brillante del Sol llegaba al promedio de su carrera, despidiendo fuego abrasador. Súbitamente un furioso huracán levanta en remolino una polvareda que llegaba hasta las nubes, é invadiendo la llanura, arrancaba las hojas á los árboles, extendiéndose la tormenta por el anchuroso Cielo. Nosotros, con los ojos cerrados, soportábamos aquel divino castigo. Pasado el temporal, al cabo de largas horas, percibimos á esa joven, dando gritos agudos y lamentables, cual pájaro que no encuentra á su tierna cría en el desierto nido. De tal modo, al mirar al difunto despojado de la tierra que le cubriera, prorrumpió en gemidos y lanzaba imprecaciones contra los autores de tamaño ultraje. Seguidamente coge con sus propias manos árida tierra con la que cubre el cadáver, honrándole hasta tres veces con fúnebres libaciones, que vierte del fondo de una preciosa copa de bronce. Tan luego como vimos esto, nos arrojamos sobre ella y la prendimos. Y en verdad, ella permaneció impávida. Interrogámosla sobre sus actos anteriores y por el que acababa de consumar, y nada negó absolutamente: confesión que fué para mí grata y dolorosa á la par; gratísima, porque me libertaba del castigo; dolorosa, porque siempre causa tormento exponer á los amigos. Pero ante todo, es lo natural que miremos cada cual por nuestra salvación.

German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 77 focus

ANTIGONAE

Darum. Mein Zevs berichtete mirs nicht;

Noch hier im Haus das Recht der Todesgötter,

Die unter Menschen das Gesez begrenzet ;

Auch dacht’ ich nicht, es sey dein Ausgebot so sehr viel.
470

Dafs eins, das sterben muss, die ungeschriebnen drüber,

Die festen Sazungen im Himmel brechen sollte.

Nicht heut’ und gestern nur, die leben immer,

Und niemand weiss, woher sie sind gekommen.

Drum wollt’ ich unter Himmlischen nicht, aus Furcht
475

Vor eines Manns Gedanken, Strafe wagen.

Ich wufste aber, dass ich sterben mülste.

Warum nicht? hättst du’s auch nicht kundgethan.

Wenn aber vor der Zeit ich sterbe, sag’ ich, dass es

So gar Gewinn ist. Wer, wie ich, viel lebt mit Uebeln,
480

Bekommt doch wohl im Tod ein wenig Vortheil?

So ist es mir, auf solch Schiksaal zu treffen,

Betrübnifs nicht; wenn meiner Mutter Todten,

Als er gestorben, ich grablos gelassen hätte,

Das würde mich betrüben. Aber das
485

Betrübt mich gar nicht. Bin ich aber dir,

Wie ich es that, nun auf die Närrin kummen,

War ich dem Narren fast Narrheit ein wenig schuldig.

CH O R:

Man sieht das rauh Geschlecht vom rauhen Vater

Am Kind! Allein beiseit im Uebel kann’s nicht.
490

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 77 focus

Ismene

But wilt thou kill the bride

Affianced to thy son?

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 100-160 focus

Enter the Chorus on the right.

Chorus

Shaft of the sun, fairest light of all that have dawned on Thebes of the seven gates, you have shone forth at last, eye of golden day, advancing over Dirce’s streams!
100

You have goaded with a sharper bit the warrior of the white shield, who came from Argos in full armor, driving him to headlong retreat.
105

110

Chorus

He set out against our land because of the strife-filled claims of Polyneices, and like a screaming eagle he flew over into our land, covered by his snow-white wing,
110

with a mass of weapons and crested helmets.
115

117

Chorus

He paused above our dwellings; he gaped around our sevenfold portals with spears thirsting for blood; but he left

before his jaws were ever glutted with our gore, or before the Fire-god’s pine-fed flame had seized our crown of towers.
120

So fierce was the crash of battle swelling about his back, a match too hard to win for the rival of the dragon.
125

127

Chorus

For Zeus detests above all the boasts of a proud tongue. And when he saw them advancing in a swollen flood,

arrogant their clanging gold, he dashed with brandished fire one who was already starting to shout victory when he had reached our ramparts.
130

134

Chorus

Staggered, he fell to the earth with a crash,

torch in hand, a man possessed by the frenzy of the mad attack, who just now was raging against us with the blasts of his tempestuous hate. But his threats did not fare as he had hoped, and to the other enemies mighty Ares dispensed each their own dooms with hard blows,
135

Ares, our mighty ally at the turning-point.
140

141

Chorus

For the seven captains, stationed against an equal number at the seven gates, left behind their brazen arms in tribute to Zeus the turner of battle—all but the accursed pair who, born of one father and one

mother, set against each other their spears, both victorious, and who now share in a common death.
145

148

Chorus

But since Victory whose name is glory has come to us, smiling in joy equal to the joy of chariot-rich Thebes ,

let us make for ourselves forgetfulness after the recent wars, and visit all the temples of the gods with night-long dance and song. And may Bacchus, who shakes the earth of Thebes , rule our dancing!
150

155

Chorus

But look, the king of the land is coming here, Creon, the son of Menoeceus, our new ruler in accordance with the new circumstances fated by the gods. What policy is he setting in motion,
155

that he has proposed this special conference of elders, and summoned it by a general mandate?
160

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-85-1 πλὴν τ. στυγεροῖν ¹ πατρός ²

mvp-comment-85-2 καθ’ αὑτοῖν ³

mvp-comment-85-3 δικρατεῖς λόγχας ⁴

mvp-comment-85-4 στήσαντε ⁵

mvp-comment-86-1 ἀλλὰ γάρ ⁶ γάρ ⁷ γάρ ⁸

mvp-comment-86-2 μεγαλώνυμος ⁹

mvp-comment-86-3 πολυαρμάτῳ ¹⁰

mvp-comment-86-4 ἀντιχαρεῖσα ¹¹

mvp-comment-87-1 ἐκ...πολέμων τῶν νῦν ¹² ἐκ ¹³ νῦν ¹⁴

mvp-comment-87-2 θέσθαι ¹⁵ θέσθε ¹⁶ παννυχίοις ¹⁷

mvp-comment-87-3 ὁ Θήβας ¹⁸ ἐλελίχθων ¹⁹

mvp-comment-87-4 Βάκχιος ²⁰

mvp-comment-87-5 ἄρχοι ²¹

mvp-comment-88-1 ἀλλὰ … γάρ ²² Κρέων ²³

mvp-comment-88-2 Μενοικέως ²⁴

mvp-comment-88-3 νεοχμὸς νεαραῖσι ²⁵

mvp-comment-88-4 their equivalents. See Appendix I prefer the first of these views. An anapaest or spondee, meaning ‘ruler,’ has probably dropped out before νεοχμός ²⁶ κρείων ²⁷ ἄρχων ²⁸ ταγός ²⁹

mvp-comment-88-5 θεῶν … συντυχίαις ³⁰ ἐπί ³¹

mvp-comment-89-1 μῆτιν ἐρέσσων ³²

mvp-comment-89-2 σύγκλητον ³³

mvp-comment-89-3 προὔθετο ³⁴ λέσχην ³⁵

mvp-comment-89-4 not the meeting, but the discussion which is to take place there: thus the poet's phrase, true to Attic usage, corresponds with

γνώμας προθεῖναι

rather than with

ἐκκλησίαν προθεῖναι

. Herod. uses

λέσχη

of a public discussion (9. 71): cp. O. C. 167 . The midd. προὔθετο ³⁶

mvp-comment-89-5 κοινῷ κ. πέμψας ³⁷

mvp-comment-91-1 There is a general dramatic analogy between this speech and that of Oedipus in O. T. 216 —275. In each case a Theban king addresses Theban elders, announcing a stern decree, adopted in reliance on his own wisdom, and promulgated with haughty consciousness of power; the elders receive the decree with a submissive deference under which we can perceive traces of misgiving; and as the drama proceeds, the elders become spectators of calamities occasioned by the decree, while its author turns to them for comfort.

mvp-comment-91-2 τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος . . ὑμᾶς δ’ ³⁸

mvp-comment-91-3 πόλεος ³⁹ πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-91-4 The image of the State as a ship dates in Greek literature from Alcaeus (whom Horace copied, Carm. 1. 14 ), fr. 18. The ship of Alcaeus is labouring in the trough of a wild sea,—water is coming in,—the sail is torn,—the anchor will not hold:

νᾶϊ φορήμεθα σὺν μελαίνᾳ | χείμωνι μοχθεῦντες μεγάλῳ μάλα, κ.τ.λ.

It is only through Heracleides Alleg. Homer. 5 that we know the meaning of Alcaeus to have been figurative and political. Aesch. often uses the image ( Aesch. Th. 2 , Aesch. Th. 62 , Aesch. Th. 208 etc.). Creon returns to it at 189. It is peculiarly well suited to his point,—the unity of the public interest.

mvp-comment-91-5 ὤρθωσαν ⁴¹

mvp-comment-92-1 ἐκ πάντων ⁴² δίχα ⁴³

mvp-comment-92-2 ἔστειλ’ ἱκέσθαι ⁴⁴ τοῦτο μέν ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-92-3 σέβοντας ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-92-4 θρόνων . . κράτη ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-93-1 ἡνίκ’ Οἰδίπους ⁴⁸ κείνων ⁴⁹ κείνων παῖδας ⁵⁰ ἡνίκ’ . . ὤρθου πόλιν ⁵¹ ἐπεὶ διώλετο ⁵² τοῦτο μέν . . τοῦτ’ αὖθις ⁵³

mvp-comment-93-2 καί ⁵⁴ καί ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-93-3 ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν ⁵⁶ ἐμπέδους ⁵⁷ ἐμπέδοις ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-94-1 ὅτε ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-94-2 πρὸς διπλῆς μ. ⁶⁰ διπλῆς . . μίαν ⁶¹

mvp-comment-94-3 παίσαντες . . πληγέντες ⁶²

mvp-comment-94-4 αὐτόχειρι … μιάσματι ⁶³

mvp-comment-95-1 ἐγὼ . . δή ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-95-2 κράτη ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-95-3 γένους κατ’ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλ. ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-96-1 ἀμήχανον δέ ⁶⁷ δέ ⁶⁸ δέ ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-96-2 Demosthenes, in his speech on the Embassy (343 B.C.), quotes this passage (vv. 175—190) as illustrating maxims

mvp-comment-96-3 which Aeschines had violated, though, accustomed as he had been to play tritagonists' parts, he ought to have known them by heart (or. 19 § 247).

mvp-comment-97-1 ψυχήν ⁷⁰ φρόνημα ⁷¹ γνώμην ⁷²

mvp-comment-98-1 ἀρχαῖς ⁷³ νόμοισιν ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-98-2 ἐντριβής ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-98-3 φανῇ ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-99-1 ἐμοὶ γάρ ⁷⁷ γάρ ⁷⁸ πᾶσαν … πόλιν ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-99-2 μὴ … ἅπτεται ⁸⁰ ὅστις μὴ ἅπτεται ⁸¹

mvp-comment-99-3 ἐκ φ. του ⁸²

mvp-comment-99-4 ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει ⁸³

mvp-comment-99-5 νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-100-1 μείζον’ ⁸⁵ ἀντὶ τῆς...πάτρας ⁸⁶ ἤ ⁸⁷ μεῖζον ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-100-2 οὐδαμοῦ λέγω ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-101-1 ἐγὼ γάρ ⁹⁰ γάρ ⁹¹ τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ⁹² ἴστω ⁹³

mvp-comment-102-1 οὔτ’ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-103-1 στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ⁹⁵ ὁμοῦ ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-103-2 ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ⁹⁷ τῆς ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-104-1 ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονός ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-104-2 ἐμαυτῷ ¹⁰⁰ φίλον ¹⁰¹ θείμην ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-105-1 ἡ σῴζουσα ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-105-2 ταύτης ¹⁰⁴ ὀρθῆς ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-105-3 τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-105-4

εὐτυχούσῃ πολλῷ μᾶλλον διασῴζεται

. ‘Pericles Thucydidis 11. 60 Sophoclem videtur respexisse, vel eum Sophocles,’ is Dobree's remark ( Adv. 2. 37 ); but there is no adequate ground for such a view. The verbal coincidence of

ὀρθῆς

with

ὀρθουμένην

may well have been accidental. What is really common to poet and historian is the general sentiment of Periclean Athens. For another example of this, cp. O. C. 116 n.

mvp-comment-106-1 νόμοισι ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-106-2 αὔξω ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-107-1 ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-107-2 τῶν ἀπ’ Οἰδίπου ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-108-1 δορί ¹¹¹ δόρει ¹¹²

mvp-comment-109-1 τὰ πάντ’ ἐφαγνίσαι ¹¹³ ἐπί ¹¹⁴ ἐφαγνίσαι ¹¹⁵ ἀφαγνίσαι ¹¹⁶ ἀπό ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-110-1 τοῖς ἀρίστοις ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-110-2 ἔρχεται κάτω ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-111-1 L has Πολυνείκην ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-111-2 λέγω ¹²¹

mvp-comment-112-1 γτ=ν πατρῴαν . . καὶ θεοὺς . . πρῆσαι ¹²²

mvp-comment-112-2 θ. τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς ¹²³

mvp-comment-112-3 κατελθών ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-112-4 γ)θέλησε μέν … ἠθέλ. δέ ¹²⁵ ἠθέλησε μὲν ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-112-5 πρῆσαι ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-112-6 κατ’ ἄκρας ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-112-7 αἵματος κ. πάσασθαι ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-112-8 τοὺς δὲ … ἄγειν ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-113-1 The traditional ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τάφῳ ¹³¹ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ ¹³² ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι λέγω ¹³³ τάφῳ ¹³⁴ κτερίζειν ¹³⁵ τάφῳ ¹³⁶ κτερίζειν ¹³⁷ μήτε ¹³⁸ κωκῦσαι ¹³⁹ τάφῳ ¹⁴⁰ λέγω ¹⁴¹ τάφῳ ¹⁴² ἐκκεκ ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-114-1 ἐᾶν δ ¹⁴⁴ ἄθαπτον, αἰκισθέντ’ ἰδεῖν ¹⁴⁵ δέμας καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστόν ¹⁴⁶ αἰκισθέντ ¹⁴⁷ αἰκισθέντ ¹⁴⁸ ἐδεστόν ¹⁴⁹ αἰκισθέν τ’, δέμας ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-114-2 δέμας ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-114-3 ἰδεῖν ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-115-1 φρόνημα ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-115-2 ἔκ γ’ ἐμοῦ ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-116-1 The MSS. have τιμὴν προέξουσ’ ..τῶν ἐνδ. ¹⁵⁵ τιμήν ¹⁵⁶ τιμῆ ¹⁵⁷ προσέξους ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-117-1 τιμήσεται ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-118-1 I print Dindorf's κἀς ¹⁶⁰ καὶ ¹⁶¹ σοὶ ταῦτ’ ἀρέσκει ¹⁶² Κρέον ¹⁶³ ταὔτ ¹⁶⁴ ταῦτ’ ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-119-1 In παντί πού γ’ ¹⁶⁶ σοί γ’ … που ¹⁶⁷ ἔνεστι ¹⁶⁸ χὡπόσοι ζῶμεν ¹⁶⁹ πέρι ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-120-1 ὡς ἂν … ἦτε ¹⁷¹ πῶς ἂν … εἶτε ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-120-2 σκοποί ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-120-3 νυν ¹⁷⁴ νῦν ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-120-4 τῶν εἰρ ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-121-1 πρόθες τοῦτο ¹⁷⁷ βαστάζειν ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-121-2 τοῦ νεκροῦ γ’ ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-122-1 τί δῆτ’ ἂν … ἐπεντέλλοις ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-122-2 The reading ἄλλῳ ¹⁸¹ τοῦτο ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-122-3 ἐπιχωρεῖν ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-122-4 ἀπιστοῦσιν ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-122-5 τάδε, ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-123-1 ὃς ¹⁸⁶ ἐρᾷ ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-123-2 καὶ μὴν ¹⁸⁸ γε ¹⁸⁹ μισθός ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-123-3 requital of disobedience is that.’ For

καὶ μήν

so used, cp. O. T. 836 , 1004 f., El. 556 .

mvp-comment-123-4 τὸ κέρδος ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-123-5 διώλεσεν ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-124-1 ἐρῶ μὲν οὐχ ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-124-2 ὅπως ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-124-3 τάχους ὕπο ¹⁹⁵ τάχους ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-125-1 ἐξάρας ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-125-2 φροντίδων ¹⁹⁸ ἐπιστάσεις ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-125-3 ὁδοῖς ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-125-4 κυκλῶν ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-126-1 ψυχὴ γὰρ ηὔδα ²⁰² πολλὰ ²⁰³ μυθουμένη ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-127-1 τάλας … τλήμων ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-127-2 μένεις ²⁰⁶ μενεῖς ²⁰⁷ αὖ ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-127-3 πῶς … οὐκ ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-127-4 ἀλγυνεῖ ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-128-1 ἑλίσσων ²¹¹

mvp-comment-128-2 ἤνυτον ²¹²

mvp-comment-128-3 σχολῇ βραδύς ²¹³

mvp-comment-129-1 τέλος γε μέντοι ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-129-2 ἐνίκησεν ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-129-3

ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν

. That

μολεῖν

should not be regarded as the subject to

ἐνίκησε

, is shown by such an example as Her. 8.9

ἐνίκα τὴν ἡμέρην ἐκείνην αὐτοῦ μείναντάς τε καὶ αὐλισθέντας μετέπειτα νύκτα μέσην παρέντας πορεύεσθαι

, where the length of the interval excludes such a view. The personal constr. occurs below, 274; cp. Thuc. 2.12

ἦν...Περικλέους γνώμη...νενικηκυῖα

.

mvp-comment-130-1 σοί ²¹⁶ μολεῖν ²¹⁷ σοί ²¹⁸ φράσων ²¹⁹ φράσω δ ²²⁰ κεἰ ²²¹ κεἴ σοι ²²² σοί. ²²³

mvp-comment-130-2 τὸ μηδέν ²²⁴

mvp-comment-131-1 τῆς ἐλπίδος ²²⁵

mvp-comment-131-2 δεδραγμένος ²²⁶ πεφραγμένος ²²⁷ πεπραγμένος ²²⁸

mvp-comment-131-3 τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἄν ²²⁹

mvp-comment-131-4

πάθοιμι ἄν

, depending on

ἐλπίδος...δεδρ

. as=

ἐλπίζων

: for the art. with infin., cp. 78 n.

mvp-comment-131-5 τὸ μόρσιμον ²³⁰

mvp-comment-132-1 ἀνθ’ οὗ ²³¹

mvp-comment-132-2 τὸ γὰρ | πρᾶγμ’ ²³² γάρ ²³³

mvp-comment-133-1 εὖ γε στοχάζει ²³⁴ στοχάζει ²³⁵ ἀποφράγνυσαι ²³⁶ στοχάζομαι ²³⁷

mvp-comment-133-2 κἀποφράγνυσαι ²³⁸

mvp-comment-133-3 τὸ πρᾶγμα ²³⁹

mvp-comment-134-1 δηλοῖς δ’ ὥς τι ς. ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-135-1 τὰ δεινά ²⁴¹ γάρ ²⁴²

mvp-comment-135-2 ποτ ²⁴³

mvp-comment-135-3 ἀπαλλαχθείς ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-136-1 καὶ δή ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-136-2 θάψας ²⁴⁶ κἀπί ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-136-3 διψίαν ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-136-4 κἀφαγιστεύσας ²⁴⁹ ἃ χρή ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-137-1 ἀνδρῶν ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-137-2 οὔτε του γενῇδος … οὐ δικέλλης ²⁵² οὔτε … οὐ ²⁵³ γενῄς ²⁵⁴ γενῄς ²⁵⁵ δίκελλα ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-137-3 δικ. ἐκβολή ²⁵⁷ ἐκβ. ²⁵⁸ στύφλος ²⁵⁹ χέρσος ²⁶⁰ ἀρρώξ ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-137-4 ἐπημαξευμένη ²⁶² ἐπ‐ ²⁶³ ἐφ‐ ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-137-5 ἀλλ’ ὁ ἐργάτης ἄσημός τις ἦν ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-138-1 It is still the early morning of the day on which the drama opens. The Argives having fled in the night, Creon had published his edict shortly before dawn. Antigone had done her deed in the short interval between the publication of the edict and the beginning of the watch over the corpse. ὁ πρῶτος ἡμεροσκόπος ²⁶⁶ ἡμεροσκ. ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-138-2 δείκνυσι … παρῆν ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-138-3 δυσχερές ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-139-1 ὁ μὲν ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-139-2 τυμβήρης μὲν οὔ ²⁷¹ τυμβ. ²⁷² λεπτὴ δ’ … ἐπῆν ²⁷³

mvp-comment-139-3 ἄγος φεύγοντος ὥς ²⁷⁴ ἄγος ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-140-1 θηρός ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-140-2 του ²⁷⁷ θηρός ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-140-3 οὐ σπάσαντος ²⁷⁹ οὐ ²⁸⁰ σπάσαντος ²⁸¹ σπάσαντος οὐδ’ ἐλθόντος ²⁸²

mvp-comment-141-1 λόγοι δ’ … φύλακα ²⁸³ λόγοι κακοὶ ἐρρόθουν ²⁸⁴ ἐρρόθουν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-141-2

γλώσσης ῥόθος

, of an unintelligible jargon.

mvp-comment-141-3 ἐλέγχων ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-141-4 κἂν ἐγίγνετο ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-141-5 τελευτῶς ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-141-6 ὁ κωλύσων ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-142-1 ἦν … οὑξειργ. ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-142-2 ἐναργής ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-142-3 ἀλλ’ ²⁹²

mvp-comment-142-4 ἕφευγε μὴ εἰδέναι ²⁹³

mvp-comment-142-5 μὴ ²⁹⁴ εἰδέναι ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-143-1 μύδρους ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-143-2 a red-hot mass of metal, and that the custom was symbolical of an older use of the

μύδρος

in ordeals by fire. This would explain how the Alexandrian poets of the 3rd cent. B.C. (Lycophron, Callimachus) came to use the word

μύδρος

, in defiance of its etymology, as simply ‘a lump’ (or even ‘a stone’). They supposed that the

μύδροι

had been cold masses.

mvp-comment-144-1 πῦρ διέρπειν ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-144-2 θεοὺς ὁρκ. ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-144-3 τὸ μήτε δρ ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-144-4 μήτ’ είργασμένῳ ³⁰¹ μηδ ³⁰²

mvp-comment-145-1 πλέον ³⁰³

mvp-comment-145-2 λέγει ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-145-3 τις εἷς ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-146-1 προὔτρεψεν ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-146-2 οὐ γὰρ εἴχομεν ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-146-3 As ἀντιφωνεῖν ³⁰⁸ δρῶντες ³⁰⁹ ὅπως δρῶντες ³¹⁰ εἴχομεν ³¹¹

mvp-comment-147-1 σοί ³¹²

mvp-comment-147-2 ταῦτ’ ἐνίκα ³¹³

mvp-comment-147-3 πάλος ³¹⁴ καθαιρεῖ ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-147-4 τἀγαθόν ³¹⁶ —ἄκων οὐχ ἑκοῦσιν ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-148-1 ἐμοί ³¹⁸ βουλεύει ³¹⁹ μή ³²⁰

mvp-comment-148-2 τι ³²¹

mvp-comment-148-3 θεήλατον, ³²²

mvp-comment-148-4 ἡ ξύννοια ³²³

mvp-comment-148-5 πάλαι ³²⁴

mvp-comment-149-1 πρὶν ὀργῆς καί με μεστῶσαι ³²⁵ καί ³²⁶ πρίν ³²⁷ μεστῶσαι ³²⁸ καί ³²⁹ με ³³⁰

mvp-comment-149-2 κἀμέ ³³¹

mvp-comment-149-3 μεστῶσαι ³³²

mvp-comment-150-1 πότερον ³³³ ἔκρυπτον ³³⁴

mvp-comment-150-2 ἀμφικίονας ναούς ³³⁵

mvp-comment-150-3 κἀναθήματα ³³⁶

mvp-comment-150-4 Her. 1.50 ; Thuc. 6.46 ; Isae. or. 7 § 41.) The wealth of Delphi in

ἀναθήματα

is already proverbial in Il. 9.404 ; at Thebes the

Ἰσμήνιον

( O. T. 21 ) also seems to have been rich in them. After

ἀνάθημα

the gen. denotes either

ὁ ἀναθείς

(as more oft.), or, as here, the divine owner.

mvp-comment-150-5 γῆν ἐκείνων ³³⁷ πυρώσων ³³⁸

mvp-comment-150-6 νόμους διασκεδῶν ³³⁹

mvp-comment-150-7 διασκεδῶν ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-151-1 τοὺς κακοὺς τιμῶντας … θεούς; ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-152-1 ταῦτα ³⁴² μόλις φέροντες ³⁴³ καὶ πάλαι ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-152-2 πόλεως ἄνδρες ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-152-3 ἐρρόθουν ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-152-4 ἐμοί ³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-152-5 κάρα σείοντες ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-152-6 ὑπὸ ζυγῷ ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-152-7 λόφον ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-152-8 δικαίως ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-152-9 equal poise’ ( New Crat. 371).—

ὡς = ὥστε

( O. T. 84 ): στέργειν ³⁵²

mvp-comment-153-1 τῶνδε ³⁵³ ἐκ ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-153-2 τούτους, ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-153-3 εἰργάσθαι ³⁵⁶ ἐξεπίσταμαι ³⁵⁷ παρηγμένους ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-154-1 νόμισμ’ ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-154-2 ἔβλαστε ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-154-3 πορθεῖ ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-154-4 τόδ’ ³⁶² ἄνδρας ³⁶³

mvp-comment-155-1 τόδ’ ἐκδ. καὶ παραλλάσσει ³⁶⁴ ἵστασθαι ³⁶⁵ καὶ παραλλάσσει ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-155-2 ἵστασθαι πρός τι ³⁶⁷

mvp-comment-156-1 πανουργίας … ἔχειν ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-156-2 εἰδέναι ³⁶⁹ παντὸς ἔργου δυσσέβ. ³⁷⁰ παντὸς ἔργ ³⁷¹ πανουργίας ³⁷²

mvp-comment-157-1 ἤνυσαν ³⁷³

mvp-comment-157-2 χρόνῳ ποτέ ³⁷⁴ δοῦναι δίκην ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-157-3 ἐξέπραξαν ὡς ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-158-1 Ζεύς ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-158-2 ὅρκιος ³⁷⁸

mvp-comment-158-3 τὸν αὐτόχειρα ³⁷⁹ τάφου = ταφῆς ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-159-1 μοῦνος ³⁸¹ πρὶν ἂν . . δηλώσητε ³⁸² κρεμαστοί ³⁸³ ζῶντες κρεμαστοί ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-159-2 δηλώσηθ’ ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-159-3 ὕβριν ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-160-1 ἵν’ … ἁρπάζητε ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-160-2 τὸ κέρδος ³⁸⁸ ἔνθεν οἰστέον ³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-160-3 μάθηθ’ ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-160-4 ἐξ ἅπαντος ³⁹¹ τὸ κερδαίνειν ³⁹²

mvp-comment-160-5

πιεῖν

. In O. C. 807

ἑξ ἅπαντος εὖ λέγει

=speaks well on any theme (starting from anything).

mvp-comment-161-1 τι ³⁹³

mvp-comment-161-2 δέ ³⁹⁴ δώσεις ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-161-3 οὕτως ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-161-4 ἴω ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-161-5 καὶ νῦν ὡς ³⁹⁸ ἀνιαρῶς ³⁹⁹ ι— ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐν ⁴⁰¹ ὠσίν ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-162-2 ἐπί ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-163-1 τί δὲ ⁴⁰⁴ τί δαὶ ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-163-2 ῥυθμίζεις ⁴⁰⁶ ὅπου ⁴⁰⁷ ὅπου ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-164-1 τὰς φρένας...τὰ δ’ ὦτ’ ⁴⁰⁹ σε ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-164-2 οἴμ’ ὡς ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-164-3 λάλημα ⁴¹² ἄλημα ⁴¹³ ἄλημα ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-164-4 δῆλον, ⁴¹⁵

mvp-comment-165-1 ‘At any rate (

οὖν

—babbler or not) I certainly have not done this deed.’ εἰμί ⁴¹⁶ οὔκουν … γε ⁴¹⁷

mvp-comment-166-1 ‘Yes, (you have done it,) and that, too, at the cost of betraying,’ etc. The particle γε ⁴¹⁸ καὶ ταῦτα ⁴¹⁹ προδούς ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-167-1 ἦ δεινόν ⁴²¹ καὶ ⁴²² γε ⁴²³

mvp-comment-168-1 κόμψευε . . τὴν δόξαν ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-168-2 τὴν δόξαν ⁴²⁵

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 ⁴²⁶ νῦν ⁴²⁷ ταῦτα … τοὺς δρῶντας = τοὺς ταῦτα δρῶντας ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-169-1 δειλά ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-169-2 δεινά ⁴³⁰ ν ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-170-1 ἀλλ’ ⁴³² εὑρεθείη ⁴³³ καὶ ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-171-1 καὶ ⁴³⁵ γάρ ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-171-2 γνώμης ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-173-1 πολλὰ … κοὐδέν ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-173-2 καί ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-173-3 τὰ δεινά ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-174-1 τοῦτο ⁴⁴¹ πέραν ⁴⁴² πέρα ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-175-1 χειμερίῳ νότῳ ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-176-1 περιβρ … ὑπ’ οἴδμασιν ⁴⁴⁵

mvp-comment-177-1 ὑπερτάταν ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-178-1 ἀκαμάταν ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-178-2 ἀποτρύεται ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-179-1 ἰλλομένων ἀρότρων, ⁴⁴⁹ ἀρότων ⁴⁵⁰

mvp-comment-179-2 ἔτος εἰς ἔτος ⁴⁵¹ εἰς ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-180-1 ἱππείῳ γένει ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-180-2 πολεύων ⁴⁵⁴ τοῦτο ⁴⁵⁵

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 ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-181-5 ἀμφιβαλὼν ⁴⁵⁷

mvp-comment-182-1 πόντου … εἰναλίαν φύσιν ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-183-1 περιφραδής ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-184-1 μηχαναῖς ⁴⁶⁰ ἀγραύλου ⁴⁶¹ ὀρεσσιβάτα ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-185-1 λασιαύχενά θ’ ⁴⁶³

mvp-comment-186-1 ὀχμάζεται ⁴⁶⁴ ἀμφὶ λόφον ζυγῶν ⁴⁶⁵

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 ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-187-1 φθέγμα ⁴⁶⁷

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 ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-188-1 ἀστυνόμους ὀργάς ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-189-1 ἐδιδάξατο ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-190-1 πάγων ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-190-2 ἐναίθρεια ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-190-3 βέλη ⁴⁷⁴

mvp-comment-191-1 παντοπόρος ⁴⁷⁵

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 ⁴⁷⁶ μόνου ⁴⁷⁷ φεῦξιν — ἐπάξεται ⁴⁷⁸

mvp-comment-193-1 ἀμηχάνων ⁴⁷⁹

mvp-comment-193-2 φυγάς ⁴⁸⁰

mvp-comment-193-3 ξυμπέφρασται ⁴⁸¹

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 ⁴⁸²

mvp-comment-194-3 τὸ μηχανόεν τ ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-195-1 τοτὲ μὲν … ἄλλοτ’ ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-195-2 ἐπ’ ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-196-1 γεραίρων ⁴⁸⁶

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 ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-198-1 ὑψίπολις ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-198-2 ἄπολις ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-198-3 τὸ μὴ καλόν ⁴⁹⁰ τόλμας χάριν ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-199-1 παρέστιος ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-199-2 ἴσον φρονῶν ⁴⁹³

mvp-comment-200-1 ἔρδει ⁴⁹⁴ ἔρδοι ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-202-1 The choral ode has closed with an allusion to the unknown man ( ὅς ⁴⁹⁶ ἀμφινοῶ ⁴⁹⁷ ἐς ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-202-2 δαιμόνιον τέρας ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-203-1 πῶς εἰδὼς ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-203-2 ἀντιλογήσω ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-204-1 ὦ δύστηνος ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-204-2 δ. πατρός ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-204-3 Οἰδιπόδα— ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-205-1 τί ποτ’ ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-205-2 οὐ δή που ⁵⁰⁶

mvp-comment-205-3 ἀπιστοῦσαν ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-205-4 ἄγουσι ⁵⁰⁸

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

mvp-comment-205-6 καὶ ⁵⁰⁹ ἀπιστοῦσαν ⁵¹⁰ καθελόντες ⁵¹¹

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 ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-206-3 τοὔργον ἡ ’ξειργ ⁵¹³

mvp-comment-207-1 ἐς δέον ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-208-1 ξύμμετρος ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-209-1 ἀπώμοτον ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-210-1 ψεύδει ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-210-2 ἡ ’πίνοια ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-211-1 ἐξηύχουν ἄν ⁵¹⁹ σχολῇ ἥξειν ποτὲ δεῦρο ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-211-2 σχολῇ ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-212-1 ταῖς σαῖς ἀπειλαῖς ⁵²²

mvp-comment-212-2 ἐχειμάσθην ⁵²³

mvp-comment-213-1 ἡ...ἐκτὸς ⁵²⁴ ἐκτός ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-214-1 οὐδὲν ἔοικε μῆκος ⁵²⁶ α+λλῃ ἡδονῇ ⁵²⁷ οὐδέν ⁵²⁸ μῆκος ⁵²⁹ ἔοικε ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-215-1 δῑ ὅρκων … ἀπώμοτος ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-216-1 καθῃρέθη ⁵³²

mvp-comment-216-2 τάφον κοσμοῦσα ⁵³³

mvp-comment-216-3 ἐπάλλετο ⁵³⁴ ἕρμαιον ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-217-1 κρῖνε ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-217-2 δίκαιός εἰμι ⁵³⁷

mvp-comment-217-3 ἀπηλλάχθαι ⁵³⁸

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 ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-219-1 ἦ καὶ ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-219-2 ὀρθῶς ⁵⁴¹

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 ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-221-1 ἆρ’ ἔνδηλα ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-222-1 ὁρᾶται...ᾑρέθη ⁵⁴⁴

mvp-comment-222-2 ἐπίληπτος ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-223-1 ἥκομεν ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-224-1 τὰ δείν’ ἐκεῖν’ ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-224-2 τὸν | νέκυν ⁵⁴⁹

mvp-comment-225-1 καθήμεθ’ ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-225-2 ἄκρων ἐκ πάγων ⁵⁵¹

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

by

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

or

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

or

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 ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-226-1 βάλῃ ⁵⁵³

mvp-comment-227-1 ἐγερτί ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-227-2 κινῶν ⁵⁵⁵

mvp-comment-227-3 ἐπιρρόθοις κακοῖσιν ⁵⁵⁶

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 ⁵⁵⁷ ἀφειδήσοι ⁵⁵⁸

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 ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-230-2 χθονὸς ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-231-1 τυφώς ⁵⁶¹ σκηπτός ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-231-2 οὐράνιον ἄχος ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-232-1 πίμπλησι ⁵⁶⁴ αἰκίζων ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-232-2 ἐν δ’ ἐμεστ ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-233-1 μύσαντες ⁵⁶⁷

mvp-comment-233-2 νόσον ⁵⁶⁸

mvp-comment-233-3 ἐν χρ. μακρ ⁵⁶⁹

mvp-comment-234-1 πικρᾶς ⁵⁷⁰

mvp-comment-235-1 εὐνῆς...λέχος ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-236-1 οὕτω δέ ⁵⁷²

mvp-comment-236-2 ψιλόν ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-237-1 γόοισιν ἐξῴμωξεν ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-237-2 ἐκ δ’ … ἠρᾶτο ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-237-3 διψίαν ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-238-1 φέρει κόνιν ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-239-1 The πρόχους ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-239-2 εὐκρότητος ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-239-3 ἄρδην ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-240-1 χοαῖσι ⁵⁸¹

mvp-comment-240-2 τρισπόνδ. ⁵⁸² στέφει ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-241-1 ἱέμεσθα ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-241-2 σὺν δὲ … θηρώμεθ’ ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-242-1 ἠλέγχομεν ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-242-2 ἄπαρνος … οὐδενός ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-242-3 καθίστατο ⁵⁸⁸

mvp-comment-243-1 ἅμ’ ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-244-1 φίλους ⁵⁹⁰

mvp-comment-245-1 πάντα ταῦθ’ ⁵⁹¹ λαβεῖν ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-246-1 σὲ δή, ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-247-1 φὴς δεδρακέναι, ἢ καταρνεῖ μὴ δεδρ ⁵⁹⁴ καταρνεῖ ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-248-1 καὶ......κοὐκ ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-248-2 τὸ μή ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-249-1 σὺ μέν ⁵⁹⁸ κομίζοις ἂν ς ⁵⁹⁹

mvp-comment-249-2 ἔξω ⁶⁰⁰ β. αἰτίας ⁶⁰¹ ἐλεύθερον ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-250-1 μῆκος ⁶⁰³

mvp-comment-251-1 ᾔδησθα ⁶⁰⁴ ᾔδης τὰ ⁶⁰⁵ σθα ⁶⁰⁶

mvp-comment-251-2 κηρυχθέντα ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-252-1 ᾔδη ⁶⁰⁸

mvp-comment-252-2 τί δ’ οὐκ ἔμελλον ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-252-3 ἐμφανῆ ⁶¹⁰ ἐκφανῆ ⁶¹¹

mvp-comment-253-1 καὶ δῆτ’ ⁶¹²

mvp-comment-254-1 Ζεύς ⁶¹³

mvp-comment-255-1 τῶν κάτω θεῶν ⁶¹⁴ ξύνοικος ⁶¹⁵ τοιούσδ’ … ὥρισεν ⁶¹⁶ οἳ τούσδ’ … ὥρισαν ⁶¹⁷ τάδε ⁶¹⁸

mvp-comment-256-1 ἄγραπτα … νόμιμα ⁶¹⁹

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 ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-256-3 ἀσφαλῆ ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-256-4 θνητὸν ὄντ’ ⁶²²

mvp-comment-256-5 ὑπερδραμεῖν ⁶²³

mvp-comment-257-1 νῦν γε κἀχθές ⁶²⁴

mvp-comment-257-2 ζῇ ⁶²⁵

mvp-comment-257-3 ’φάνη ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-258-1 τούτων ⁶²⁷ τὴν δίκην ⁶²⁸ τούτων ⁶²⁹

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 ⁶³⁰

mvp-comment-259-1 δώσειν ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-259-2 θανουμένη γάρ ⁶³²

mvp-comment-259-3 τί δ’ οὔ ⁶³³

mvp-comment-260-1 κεἰ μὴ σὺ προὐκήρυξας ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-260-2 τοῦ χρόνου ⁶³⁵

mvp-comment-260-3 αὔτ’ ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-261-1 φέρει ⁶³⁷

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 ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-263-1 ἄλγος ⁶³⁹ παρ’ οὐδέν ⁶⁴⁰

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 ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-264-1 ἄθαπτον ἠνσχόμην νέκυν ⁶⁴² ηἰσχόμην ⁶⁴³ ἠνσχόμην ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-264-2 In my first edition I placed in the text the emendation of Semitelos (1887) ᾔσχυναν κύνες ⁶⁴⁵

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 ⁶⁴⁶

mvp-comment-264-4 or

μιᾶς

(Meineke). (2) τὸν ἐξ ἐμ. | μητρος θανόντ’ ⁶⁴⁷

mvp-comment-265-1 σχεδόν τι ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-265-2 μώρῳ μωρίαν ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-265-3 ὀφλισκάνω ⁶⁵⁰

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

142-143. mvp-comment-87-1 'Left the tribute of their brazen panoplies to Zeus, who turns the battle.'

144-147. mvp-comment-88-1 Neither could despoil the other, since both were slain. And the citizens could not dedicate to Zeus arms polluted with kindred blood.

145. mvp-comment-89-1 αὑτοῖν i. e. ἀλλήλοιν: ἑαυτούς, ἀλλήλους. Hesych.

146. mvp-comment-90-1 δικρατεῖς λόγχας στήσαντε Having pointed their two spears, of which either was victorious. The spears are not hurled, as commonly in the Iliad, but held firmly as the combatants rush at each other. Cp. Hom. Il. 4. 307 (quoted by Donaldson), ὃς δέ κ᾿ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ ὧν ὀχέων ἕτερ᾽ ἅρμαθ' ἵκηται | ἔγχει ὀρεξάσθω, ἐπεὶ ἢ πολὺ φέρτερον οὕτως.

147. mvp-comment-91-1 'Both have their portion in mutual death: i.e. Each strove for sole inheritance, but they share equally-in a death;' which each has given and each has received. See on l. 57. The spirit of the words is the same as those of Aesch. S. c. T. 726 ff.: O. C. 790.

149. mvp-comment-92-1 ἀντιχαρεῖσα Exchanging looks of joy. Cp. χαίρειν γέλωτι, Χen. Cyr. 8.1.33.

149. mvp-comment-92-2 Θήβη, as in Pindar, is the personification of Θήβαι, for which it is used consistently throughout this play. Cp. Od. 7. 80, εὐρυάγυιαν Ἀθήνην.

150. mvp-comment-93-1 ἐκ μὲν δὴ πολέμων .. λησμοσύvav Turning from the present wars, appoint ye forgetfulness of them. For the pleonastic use of ἐκ, see Essay on Language § 19. p. 27. The reading θέσθαι, which has good MS. authority and preserves the metrical correspondence with l. 137, is retained by some editors as an infinitive for imperative. Cp. infr. 1142, μολεῖν. For the expression, cp. Eur. Phoen. 1584,5, ὡς ὥρα τάφου | μνήμην τίθεσθαι.

153. mvp-comment-94-1 παννυχίοις Cp. Ο. Τ. 1090: Aesch. Ag. 23, 24. καὶ χορῶν κατάστασιν | πολλῶν ἐν Ἄργει τῆσδε συμφορᾶς χάριν.

153. mvp-comment-94-2 ὁ Θήβας δ'. . ἄρχοι And let Bacchus, Thebe's God. who shakes the earth (with revelry), lead on the dance. Schol. ὁ Θήβας Βακχεῖος, ὁ Θηβαγενὴς Διόνυσος, ὁ τῆς Θήβης πολίτης, ὁ ἐλελίχθων, ἄρχοι τῆς χορείας. See Essay on Language § 9. p. 11.

156. mvp-comment-95-1 The metre requires either the addition of one (or three) anapaests or the omission of νεοχμός. Dindorf's supposition that νεοχμός νεαραῖσι has grown in some way out of νεοχμοῖσι is in itself probable enough, but the omission of some word like *ἄρχων after βασιλεύς is equally so. The spectator is thus reminded that Creon is young in power.

157-158. mvp-comment-96-1 νεαραῖσι .. συντυχίαις In consequence of the recent god-sent fortune. These words are to be joined with the whole sentence, though chiefly with ἐρέσσων. Creon's accession, his coming, and the counsel which he brings, all follow closely on the events of the war. The question is, what is that counsel?

159. mvp-comment-97-1 τίνα δή This is preferable to τινὰ δή, which Aldus printed from Ven. 467 (V3).

159. mvp-comment-97-2 On ἐρέσσων = Moving, Advancing. see Essay on Language p. 87, and cp. Aj. 251, τοίας ἐρέσσουσιν ἀπειλάς.

160-161. mvp-comment-98-1 ὅτι. προὔθετο That he hath appointed. ὅτι gives the reason of the question.

160. mvp-comment-99-1 σύγκλητον Specially convened. The word is used, after the analogy of the σύγκλητος ἐκκλησία at Athens, for an assembly specially summoned by the στρατηγός. λέσχη is less formal than βουλή. Cp. Ο. C. 166.

161. mvp-comment-100-1 προὔθετο The middle voice implies that Creon had summoned the elders of his own motion. So καλέσσατο of Achilles in Il. 1. 54.

162. mvp-comment-101-1 κοινῷ κηρύγματι πέμψας Having cited us by a message sent to us all.

162. mvp-comment-101-2 κοινῷ = Inclusive. πέμψας] i. e. στείλας πομποῖσιν, as Creon expresses himself in ll. 164-165. 162-210. Creon's first error is not mere self-will, but an excessive zeal for the honour of the state, to which all private feelings must give way (183-184, 187-190). His spirit of self-assertion is however already felt, esp. in ll. 173, 191, 207-10. And the unconsciousness of one young in power is shown in the self-inculpating words in ll. 175-177. He characteristically dwells on the virtue of loyalty (165-169, 209-210) and the crime of rebellion (199-202): and his passionate nature is betrayed by the exaggerated expression in l. 208. Cp. O. T. 216 ff. and note. The frequent occurrence of the Ist personal pronoun is a significant feature of both these speeches.

162. mvp-comment-101-3 τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος As for the state. This form of expression suits the introduction of a subject before the form of sentence is determined. πόλιν, rather than τὰ πόλεος, is the object of σείσαντες and ὤρθωσαν.

162. mvp-comment-101-4 ἀσφαλῶς Unharmed, = ἄνεν τοῦ σφαλῆναι,

163. mvp-comment-102-1 ὥρθωσαν Have righted the vessel of the state.

165-166. mvp-comment-103-1 τὰ Λαΐου. κράτη Knowing that you ever duly reverenced the enthroned authority of Laius. Λαΐου is governed by θρόνων κράτη taken as one word, θρόνων being added to supplement κράτη. σέβοντας and μένοντας, infr. 166, 169, are imperfects = ὅτι ἐσέβετε .. ἐμένετε,

167. mvp-comment-104-1 ὤρθου Kept on a safe course: i. e. Governed prosperously. The word recalls the happiness of the first period of Oedipus' rule. Cp. Plat. Men. P. 99 C, ᾗ οἱ πολιτικοὶ ἄνδρες χρώμενοι τὰς πόλεις ὀρθοῦσιν : Phaedr. 244 B. 168-169. ἀμφὶ .. φρονήμασιν]. Ye still remained loyal to their issue with unshaken minds. ἀμφί, Surrounding, as ready to defend. The apodosis is made to suit the latter protasis, ἐπεὶ διώλετο, and that of the former protasis, ἡνίκ' . . πόλιν (viz. ἐκείνῳ ὁμοίως πειθομένους οι the like), is thus absorbed.

167. mvp-comment-104-2 κείνων . . παῖδας i. e. Sons of Oedipus and grandsons of Laius.

172. mvp-comment-105-1 αὐτόχειρι Fratricidal. See Essay on Language p. 91.

174. mvp-comment-106-1 γένους κατ᾿ ἀγχιστεῖα By privilege of being nearest in kindred (ὡς ἀγχιστεύων) to the dead. Cp. πρωτεία, etc.

175. mvp-comment-107-1 παντὸς ἀνδρός Of any man, and therefore of me.

176. mvp-comment-108-1 ψυχήν. . φρόνημα.. γνώμην As observed in the Essay on Language pp. 91-3, the opposition between these words is chiefly formal. So far as there is any difference between them, ψυχήν is mind, or nature, φρόνημα, spirit, or way of thinking, (cp. infr. 207), and γνώμην, judgment or meaning.

176-177. mvp-comment-109-1 πρὶν ἂν ἀρχαῖς.. φανῇ “Until he be seen in his true colours through being tried in office and administration.' According to the saying of Bias, ἀρχὴ τὸν ἄνδρα δείξει (Arist. Eth. Nic. 5. 1. 16). There is an allusion to the detection of spurious coin through wear. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 390-392, κακοῦ δὲ χαλκοῦ τρόπον | τρίβῳτε καὶ προσβολαῖς | μελαμπαγὴς πέλει | δικαιωθείς (where Herm. says, 'Vereor autem ne non de lapide Lydio loquatur poeta, sed aes adulterinum dicat, quod usu tritum amisso falso splendore cognoscitur'): Hdt. 7. 10, ὥσπερ τὸν χρυσὸν τὸν ἀκήρατον, αὐτὸν μὲν ἐπ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ οὐ διαγινώσκομεν, ἐπεὰν δὲ

178. mvp-comment-110-1 ἐμοὶ γάρ The connection is not strictly logical. γάρ explains not the difficulty of discerning the difference between rulers, but the essential point on which the difference turns. In setting forth this, Creon also declares the spirit of his own policy. He is feeling his way with the elders, of whose submission he is not perfectly sure, and beats about the bush before coming to the point with them. Hence he repeats the same thought in different words.

178-183. mvp-comment-111-1 The sentiment of these lines is closely parallel to Plat. Legg. 9. 856 B, ὃς ἂν ἄγων εἰς ἀρχὴν ἄνθρωπον δουλῶται μὲν τοὺς νόμους, ἑταιρείας δὲ τὴν πόλιν ὑπήκοον ποιῇ, καὶ βιαίως δὲ πᾶν τοῦτο πράττων καὶ στάσιν ἐγείρων παρανομῇ· τοῦτον δὴ διανοεῖσθαι δεῖ πάντων πολεμιώτατον ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει, τὸν δὲ κοινωνοῦντα μὲν τῶν τοιούτων μηδενί, τῶν μεγίστων δὲ μετέχοντα ἀρχῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, λεληθότα τε ταῦτα αὐτὸν ἢ μὴ λεληθότα, δειλίᾳ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ πατρίδος αὑτοῦ μὴ τιμωρούμενον, δεῖ δεύτερον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον πολίτην κακῇ.

180. mvp-comment-112-1 ἐγκλείσας Locked up. Cp. Shakespeare, Richard II, 1. 3,

Within my mouth you have engaoled my tongue, | Doubly portcullised with my teeth and lips.

Infr. 505, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσαι φόβος.

182. mvp-comment-113-1 μείζον᾽.. ἀντί Essay on Language § 19. p. 27. Cp. Od. 7. 216, στυγερῇ ἐπὶ γαστέρι κύντερον.

183. mvp-comment-114-1 οὐδαμοῦ λέγω Plat. Gorg. 456 C, οὐδαμοῦ ἂν φανῆναι, supr. 32. 184 ff. Having shown what makes the good and bad ruler, Creon declares his own intentions, first generally, and then (192 ff.) with reference to Eteocles and Polynices. γάρ implies that his opinion will be proved by his acts. In both statements (178-183, 184-190) the stress is laid on the duty of renouncing friendship with the public enemy (182-183, 187-188), which is the ground of the present edict, Polynices being presumably Creon's private friend: supr. 174.

186. mvp-comment-115-1 στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς Menacing my people. Cp. supr. l. 10: Aesch. Prom. 1089-1090, τοιάδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ ῥιπὴ Διόθεν, | τεύχουσα φόβον, στείχει φανερῶς. For the dative, Essay on Language § 12. p. 18.

187. mvp-comment-116-1 δυσμενή χθονός Who is my country's foe. The genitive avoids the awkwardness of two datives, χθονί and ἐμαυτῷ, coming close together.

189-190. mvp-comment-117-1 She it is who preserves us, and we make friends only while she carries us in the course of public safety; i. e. The friendship that is made against the interest of the state is hollow and insecure. Cp. Thuc. 2. 60: (Pericles loq.) ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι πόλιν πλείω ξύμπασαν ὀρθουμένην ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἰδιώτας, ἢ καθ᾿ ἕκαστον τῶν πολιτῶν εὐπραγοῦσαν, ἀθρόαν δὲ σφαλλομένην, κ.τ.λ.: Zaleuc. ap. Stob. (Mullach, p. 543), πόλις γὰρ εὖ ἀγομένη μεγίστη ὄρθωσίς ἐστι, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάντα ἔνι, καὶ τούτου σωζομένου πάντα σώζεται καὶ τούτου φθειρομένου πάντα διαφθείρεται: Shakespeare. King John, 3. 1, Pand.

All form is formless, order orderless, | Save what is opposite to England's love.

On the change of pronouns (ἥδε.. ταύτης), see Essay on Language § 22. p. 32. The article in τοὺς φίλους points the reference to ll. 182-183.

191. mvp-comment-118-1 τοιοίσδε νόμοισι By such principles as these. Cp. infr. 908, τίνος νόμου δὴ ταῦτα πρὸς χάριν λέγω;

192. mvp-comment-119-1 ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε i. e. In full accord with them. Cp. Plat. Rep. 4. 421 C, ἆρ᾽ οὖν .. καὶ τὸ τούτου ἀδελφὸν δύξω σοι μετρίως λέγειν; Lys. 2. 64, ἀδελφὰ τὰ βουλεύματα τοῖς ἔργοις : Ο. C. 1262, ἀδελφὰ . . τούτοισιν.

193. mvp-comment-120-1 τῶν ἀπ᾿ Οιδίπου For the pleo- 190 195 200 nastic use of the preposition, see above 150, 182, and notes.

195. mvp-comment-121-1 πάντ᾿ ἀριστεύσας δορί After proving himself in all ways the bravest in the war. For the aor., cp. Hdt. 9. 74, alib.

196. mvp-comment-122-1 τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι ‘Το add all sacred offerings.'

199. mvp-comment-123-1 θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς The gods of his race; i. e. Those honoured by the Cadmeans. The gods of the race also include the ancestors of the race. Infr. 938, θεοὶ προγενεῖς.

201. mvp-comment-124-1 πρῆσαι κατάκρας The city (γῆν = πόλιν) is thought of as the main object of the verb.

201. mvp-comment-124-2 ἠθέλησε δ' The correspondence of clauses (with μέν and δέ) is not perfect, the antithesis being due to afterthought.

201. mvp-comment-124-3 αἵματος .. πάσασθαι ‘Το repast him with blood of his own kin.' The expression suits the Epic colouring of the whole speech.

202. mvp-comment-125-1 τοὺς δέ The rest; i. e. Those not slain, as implied in the opposition το αἵματος κοινοῦ πάσασθαι. 203.

202. mvp-comment-125-2 ἐκκεκήρυκται Musgrave's correction has been generally adopted, lopted, and is probably right. The impersonal verb gives absoluteness to the expression. Wolff construes the inf. with λέγω in 198 (deleting the comma after τοῦδε), and Wecklein reads λέγω for τάφῳ. The slight corruption is probably due to a reminiscence of supr. 27.

205. mvp-comment-126-1 δέμας is accusative of limitation, and ἄθαπτον and ἐδεστόν are masculine. To leave him unburied, to have his flesh consumed by birds and dogs.

206. mvp-comment-127-1 αἰκισθέντ᾿ ἰδεῖν A spectacle of indignity. Lit. Outraged to behold. The infinitive is added after the participle, which is masculine.

207. mvp-comment-128-1 Cp. 176, ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην.

209-210. mvp-comment-129-1 θανών | καὶ ζῶν In death as well as in life. The first word is the more emphatic. Essay on Language p. 78.

211-212. mvp-comment-130-1 For the construction of the accusatives τὸν .. δύσνουν. . τὸν εὐμενῆ, after σοὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀρέσκει as = οὕτω τάσσεις, or the like, cр. О. С. 1120, τέκν᾽ εἰ φανέντ᾽ ἄελπτα μηκύνω λόγον, and see Essay on Language § 16. p. 22. No emendation is necessary.

213. mvp-comment-131-1 παντί πού γ᾽ ἔνεστί σοι γε has been thought a useless insertion, and Dindorf reads πάντι που πάρεστί σοι. But δέ γε is not unsuitable to the connection, introducing the second premiss of an implied argument. The words of the chorus express the barest acquiescence in the will of the ruler. Cp. infr. 509, σοὶ δ᾽ ὑπίλλουσι στόμα. They hide their disapproval, and that is all. Cp. Richard III, 4. 2, 21, Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure.

215. mvp-comment-132-1 ὡς ἂν.. εἰρημένων Sc. οὕτω πράσσετε. The subjunctive with ὡς ἄν follows the implied imperative. Act, then, so as to see my words obeyed. Cp. Ο. Τ. 325, ὡς οὖν μηδ᾽ ἐγὼ ταὐτὸν πάθω : Plat. Phaedo 59 Ε, παραγγέλλουσιν, ὅπως ἂν τῇδε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τελευτήσῃ. The ellipse is idiomatic. It is not to be supposed either that Creon hesitates, or that the elders interrupt him.

218. mvp-comment-133-1 τί.. ἔτι 'What means then this charge further given by you to another?' τοῦτο, cogn. acc. = σκοποὶ εἶναι τῶν εἰρημένων : τί, suppl. predic. = With what meaning?' To what effect? ἄλλῳ = to another than the appointed guards. ἄλλο gives a poorer sense, What then is this other thing which you enjoin besides?

220. mvp-comment-134-1 ὃς .. ἐρᾷ As to be in love with death. For the irregular correlative (οὕτω .. ὅς), see Essay on Language § 22. p. 36. There is a confusion of οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἐρᾷ and οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτω μῶρος ὥστε ἐρᾶν.

222. mvp-comment-135-1 The emphatic position of ἄνδρας at the beginning of the line shows that the word is intended to mark Creon's unconsciousness of the real source of danger. So infr. 1. 248. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1110: O. T. 928, al. So ὑπ᾿ ἐλπίδων shows how incapable he is of divining the motive of Antigone.

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.

223-224. mvp-comment-137-1 I am out of breath, but not with speed. It is not that I ran nimbly hither. Aristotle, Rhet. 3. 14. § 10, quotes 223 thus, Ἄναξ, ἐρῶ μὲν οὐχ ὅπως σπουδῆς ὕπο.., adding, as if from the reply of Creon, τί φροιμιάζῃ; But it is as unsafe to follow his authority in this line, as it would be to substitute τί φροιμιάζῃ for εὖ γε στοχάζει in l. 241. It is evident that he is quoting from memory: and, although it is curious that the Scholiast uses the same word in his explanation, οὐ τοῦτο λέγω, ὅτι μετὰ σπουδῆς ἀσθμαίνων πρὸς σὲ πορεύομαι, yet this does not amount to a proof that this is the right reading. σπουδῆς may be the word which would be more naturally used in prose, but it is less pointed than τάχους in this connection. κοῦφον ἐξάρας πόδα is added in explanation of τάχους ὕπο. ἐξάρας, having set forth from the point of departure, like αἴρειν στόλον.

225. mvp-comment-138-1 For I had many stoppages by reason of thoughts, i. e. My thoughts cried halt to me (ἐπέστησάν με) again and again. Cp. Αj. 869, κοὐδεὶς ἐφίσταταί με συμμαθεῖν τόπος. The genitive φροντίδων is part causal, My thoughts checked me,' and part final, I stopped to think.

226. mvp-comment-139-1 ὁδοῖς As I came. Essay on Language § 14. p. 20. Ср. О. С. 553, ὁδοῖς ἐν ταῖσδ᾽ ἀκούων. Hearing of you on your coming hither.

227. mvp-comment-140-1 This mockery of dialectic is curiously significant of the earlier stage of rhetoric.

229. mvp-comment-141-1 κεἰ has the authority of the oldest MS. The reading of Par. A, καὶ .. ἀνδρός, has a certain liveliness, but is perhaps too abrupt.

231. mvp-comment-142-1 τοιαῦθ᾽ ἑλίσσων Turning round and round such thoughts as these. Cp. Plat. Phil. 19 (of the boyish dialectician), πάντα κινεῖ λόγον ἄσμενος, τότε μὲν ἐπὶ θάτερα κυκλῶν καὶ συμφορῶν εἰς ἕν, τότε δὲ πάλιν ἀνειλίττων καὶ διαμερίζων.

231. mvp-comment-142-2 σπουδῇ βραδύς The reading of L, σχολῇ βραδύς, Slowly because I stopped, is not pointed enough, and it seems probable that an oxymoron is intended in this as in the following line. The correction adopted by the Scholiast, σχολῇ ταχύς, secures this in rather an awkward way. That of Seyffert, which is here adopted (for the collocation of words, cp. the proverb σπεῦδε βραδέως), appears far more probable.

234. mvp-comment-143-1 This line was well explained by Dindorf in 1860: Dicturus erat σοὶ φράσοντα, sed propter verba interposita, κεί τὸ μηδὲν ἐξερῶ, mutata orationis forma infert φράσω δ ὅμως cum δε particula, ut Oed. T. 302, πόλιν μέν, εἰ καὶ μὴ βλέπεις, φρονεῖς δ' ὅμως | οἷᾳ νόσῳ σύνεστιν.' Essay on Language § 35. p. 59.

234. mvp-comment-143-2 τὸ μηδέν ῾Α vain report,' because the doer of the deed was still unknown.

235. mvp-comment-144-1 τῆς has the emphatic force of an antecedent: This hope, that ... δεδραγμένος] This reading is implied in the second scholium on the passage, ἀντειλημμένος τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐλήλυθα, and appears in the text of E and V³. (whence Aldus had it), and as a marginal reading of Aug. b. and of V¹. Clinging fast by the hope, is a natural and forcible expression, well suited to the style of the Φύλαξ : whereas ἐλπίδος πεφραγμένος or πεφαργμένοs, whether in the sense of Shut out from hope,' or Fortified by the hope, is not really admissible.

236. mvp-comment-145-1 That I cannot suffer anything but what is fated for me. Cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 263, πείσομαι τὸ μόρσιμον.

238. mvp-comment-146-1 τὸ γάρ For the light ending, cp infr. 327, 409, Ο. Τ. 553-554. τὸ δὲ | πάθημ᾽ ὁποῖον φῇς παθεῖν δίδασκέ με, ib. 995-996, 1056-1057.

239. mvp-comment-147-1 ὅστις ἦν ὁ δρῶν i. e. τὸν δρῶντα, ὅστις ἦν, The unknown doer of the deed.

241-242. mvp-comment-148-1 (1) You aim carefully, and fence the business off from yourself all round. Some editors read τί φροιμιάζει; from Ar. Rhet. 3. 14, § 10, quoted above. But though the Scholiast of the Rhetoric says τὸ δὲ τί φροιμιάζῃ τοῦ Κρέοντός ἐστι λέγοντος, it is much more probable that the words are a separate quotation from Eur. I. T. 1162. See Cope's edition of Ar. Rhet. vol. 3. p. 175. Others explain the text (2), You lay the ground carefully and hedge your approaches closely round, as if in preparing a stance to watch for game. According to Pollux, 5, 36, στοχασμός, στοχάς, and στόχος, were terms used in describing the setting of a hunting-net: καλεῖται δ᾽ αὐτῶν (τῶν ἀρκύων) ἡ στάσις, στοιχισμός, στοίχος, στόχος, στοχὰς καὶ στοχασμός· στοχὰς δὲ καλεῖται καὶ χειροποιητά τινα οἰκοδομήματα ἐκ λίθων, ἢ ὕλης ὑπὲρ τὴν γῆν ἀναστήματα, κατὰ χρείαν τῆς τῶν δικτύων ἐξ ἴσου στάσεως, εἴ τι κοῖλον εἴη περὶ τὸ ἀρκύστατον.

243. mvp-comment-149-1 τὰ δεινὰ .. πολύν The reply, as often elsewhere, refers to the first part of the previous speech. Cp. O. Т. 361. The frigid tautology belongs to the character of the Φύλαξ.

244. mvp-comment-150-1 εἰτ᾿ ἀπαλλαχθεὶς ἄπει And be off with you. The Scholiast acutely remarks that these impatient words are intended to hold out the hope of impunity, which is withdrawn again in the angry threats of ll. 305, foll.

246. mvp-comment-151-1 Some one has buried the corpse and has disappeared, after not only sprinkling dry dust upon the flesh, but adding all due rites. This last refers to the libation. Cp. supr. 196-197: infr. 430-431. The surprise was increased by observing the completeness of the act. There is a stress on the participles. Essay on Language p. 75 β, 94, 4.

248. mvp-comment-152-1 τίς ἀνδρῶν Cp. supra 222, and note.

249. mvp-comment-153-1 οὔτε .. ἐκβολή No dint of pick-axe, nor earth turned up with hoe.'

250. mvp-comment-154-1 στύφλος .. καὶ χέρσος Hard and bare. χέρσος γῆ is untilled land, and so here, Undisturbed by implements of husbandry. Cp. infr. 773, 1197.

251. mvp-comment-155-1 ἀρρώξ .. τροχοῖσιν Unbroken, and with no mark of wheels. ἐπημαξευμένη τροχοῖσιν] Lit. Carted over with wheels.' Essay on Language p. 88, note.

252. mvp-comment-156-1 ἀλλ'.. ἦν But whoever did it was one who left no trace.

253. mvp-comment-157-1 ὁ πρῶτος .. ἡμεροσκόπος Our first look-out-man for the day. ἡμεροσκόπος in Xen. Hell. 1. 1. 2, is a watchman who stands at his post at daybreak. Cp. ἡμεροφύλαξ, ib. 7. 2. 6, 7. Antigone's act preceded the setting of this watch.

254. mvp-comment-158-1 θαῦμα δυσχερές Α sight of wonder and dismay.

255. mvp-comment-159-1 τυμβήρης.. κόνις Not covered with a mound, but sprinkled with dust as by one avoiding pollution. Hor. Od. 1. 28,

Debita jura vicesque superbae | Te maneant ipsum: precibus ibus non linquar inultis | Teque piacula nulla resolvent. | Quamquam festinas, non est mora longa, licebit | Injecto ter pulvere curras.

For the gen., cp. Tr. 768.

255. mvp-comment-159-2 τυμβήρης For this use of the adjective, see Essay on Language § 23. p. 38.

258. mvp-comment-160-1 οὐ σπάσαντος Cp. Aesch. Prom. 451, οὔτε.. δόμους.. οὐ ξυλουργίαν.

259. mvp-comment-161-1 ἐν ἀλλήλοισιν Sc. τοῖς φύλαξιν. Words of abuse were loudly bandied to and fro. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 200, στάσις δ᾽ ἐν ἀλλήλοισιν ὠροθύνετο, sc.

259. mvp-comment-161-2 τοῖς δαίμοσιν.

260. mvp-comment-162-1 φύλαξ ἐλέγχων φύλακα On the nominative out of construction in the clause in apposition, see Essay on Language § 33. p. 57. § 15. p. 21.

260. mvp-comment-162-2 κἂν ἐγίγνετο And it was threatening to come to blows at last. The combination of the imperfect with av here is peculiar, having a force intermediate between ἐγίγνετο and ἐγένετο ἄv; i. e. it was coming to this, that we should have come to blows.

262-263. mvp-comment-163-1 The subtlety of the Φύλαξ deserts him in attempting to express his meaning. The perpetrator was every one and no one of us all every one in vague suspicion, and no one evidently: he escaped being known.' τις gives the indefiniteness required by the sense, = πως.

263. mvp-comment-164-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἔφευγε *μὴ εἰδέναι (1) But he (the perpetrator) always escaped, so that we could not know him. Böckh and Donaldson read as in the text, interpreting (2) Every man' (πᾶς implied in οὐδείς, the affirmative elicited from the negative) defended himself by pleading ignorance of the matter. For φεύγειν, * to urge a defensive plea,' cp. Aesch. Suppl. 390, and for the plea, μὴ εἰδέναι, Plat. Legg. 11. 936 E. But the plea of ignorance, although suitable in l. 266, is too special for this place, wherethe non-appearance of the criminal alone is in question. The meaning given above (1) is the same as that required by Hermann (see below), but is more simply expressed by the epexegesis, and the imperfect tense expresses the frustration of continued search. This interpretation involves a rare use of φεύγω, which is, however, analogous to a meaning of ἐκφεύγω that is not uncommon. Cp. Ο. Τ. 111, ἐκφεύγει δὲ τἀμελούμενον : Plat. Phil. 17, τὰ δὲ μέσα αὐτοὺς ἐκφεύγει. Other emendations are ἔφυγε τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι (Porson), explained by Erfurdt to mean amoliens a se accusationem scire sese negaverat ; ἔφυγε τῷ μὴ εἰδέναι (Herm. 1839), effugit, eo quod nesciebamus; ἔφευγε πᾶς τὸ μή, every man pled Not guilty. (Dind.). 264-265. There are few traces of anything corresponding to the trial by ordeal in ancient times. Brunck quotes Virg. Aen. 11. 787,

Et medium freti pietate per ignem | Cultores multa premimus vestigia prima.

It seems to have existed in different places as a popular belief, but nowhere to have received positive legal sanction. For a trace of trial by combat' (in Scythia), see Hdt. 4. 180. Cp. also Ar. Lys. 133.

269. mvp-comment-165-1

His verbis et sequentibus significatur terror quem Creontis auctoritas custodibus incutit.

(Dind.).

269. mvp-comment-165-2 λέγει, κ.τ.λ. The sense is interrupted by the relative clause, but resumed in the words ἦν δ᾽ ὁ μῦθος in l. 272. For τις εἷς, cp. Thuc. 6. 61, καί τινα μίαν νύκτα, κ.τ.λ. The emphatic use of little words shows the common mind; cp. infr. 404, ὃν σὺ τὸν νέκυν, κ.τ.λ. Wolff and Weckl. join els with what follows: but the antithesis of eἷς πάντας is too pointless here. Cp. Plat. Rep. 6. 496 D, εἰς πᾶσιν ἀγρίοις ἀντέχειν.

274-275. mvp-comment-166-1 κἀμὲ.. λαβεῖν And the lot devotes me, wretched man, to be the recipient of this piece of luck. καθαιρεῖ is used much as in ἡ καθαιροῦσα ψῆφος, not by an extension of the technical sense, but with the same general mean- ing of Fastening upon, Bringing down, Overtaking and subduing.

279. mvp-comment-167-1 *1 This is Nauck's emendation for ἡ. It involves a very slight change, and is extremely probable. Reflection suggests the fear that' (not 'the question whether') this may be some visitation from the gods. The conscience of the elders, which was stifled at first, begins to awaken in the presence of the mysterious fact. For the pause after the 2nd iambus, here and supr. 269, cp. Aj. 340, 342, 719, 791, 803, 988, 1050, 1077, 1140, 1332.

280. mvp-comment-168-1 Cease, ere you have quite filled me with wrath. καί, which is combined with πρίν, according to the common idiom (πρὶν καὶ..), is slightly displaced so as to emphasize the phrase ἐμὲ μεστῶσαι. The language is made clearer by the emendation καί με, but the emphatic ἐμέ is more suitable in the mouth of Creon. Cp. Phil. 1042.

281. mvp-comment-169-1 ἄνους τε καὶ γέρων Cp. О. С. 930-931, καί σ᾽ ὁ πληθύων χρόνος | γέρονθ' ὁμοῦ τίθησι καὶ τοῦ νοῦ κενόν. See Essay on Language § 41. p. 78. 285-286. Who came to burn their pillared shrines and offerings, and to break in pieces their land and laws. It seems more likely that the ἀναθήματα are joined in one expression with ναούς than with γῆν and νόμους, which are in a different category.

289-290. mvp-comment-170-1 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα.. ἐμοί But this explains the murmurs I have long been hearing from men in the city against me;' i. e. Those murmurs have become explicit in this act. Οη ταῦτα, see Essay on Language § 17. p. 25; and for the dative ἐμοί, at me, ib. § 12. p. 18. μόλις φέροντες, which some have connected with ταῦτα (ταῦτα μόλις φέροντες, 'Bearing my edict ill'), seems to be used absolutely, sc. τὸ ἐμὸν ζυγόν, with an allusion to the metaphor in what follows. Cp. Thuc. 5. 80, θυμῷ ἔφερον, sc. τὸν πόλεμον ἢ τὰ πράγματα.

291. mvp-comment-171-1 'Covertly shaking the head,' like an animal preparing to throw off the yoke.

292. mvp-comment-172-1 δικαίως Rightly; i. e. As I had a right to expect that they should.

292. mvp-comment-172-2 ὡς στέργειν ἐμέ So as to accept my sway. To this it has been objected that στέργω implies affectionate allegiance. But this notion, although inherent in the etymology of the word, is dropped in use. Cp. Phil. 538, ἐγὼ δ' ἀνάγκῃ προὔμαθον στέργειν κακά : Aesch. Prom. 11, τὴν Δίος τυραννίδα | στέργειν. What hope was there that Prometheus would be made loyal by loyal torments? The other interpretation, So that I should be content (cp. Phil. 458, τούτους ἐγὼ τοὺς ἄνδρας οὐ στέρξω ποτέ), would give but feeble expression to the self-will of Creon. The substitution for these words of εὐλόφως φέρειν from the citation of Eustathius, with the further change of νῶτον for λόφον, is rightly rejected by Dind., who points out that Eustathius, probably quoting from memory, has confused this passage with one of Lycophron.

293. mvp-comment-173-1 ἐκ τῶνδε By these malcontents. Supr. 290.

293. mvp-comment-173-2 τούτους (1) These guards. Infr. ll. 304 ff., supr. 260 ff.: or (2) simply τοὺς εἰργασμένους. The whole of this picture of discontent is the creation of Creon's anger from the hesitation of the chorus when told to see to the execution of the decree. Supr. 215 ff.

294. mvp-comment-174-1 There is a stress on μισθοῖσιν, preparing for what follows.

296. mvp-comment-175-1 νόμισμα, usually = Current coin, is here used in the more general sense which includes this. No such pestilent usance as money is, ever sprang up amongst mankind.

298. mvp-comment-176-1 The object of ἐκδιδάσκει, SC.

298. mvp-comment-176-2 χρηστοὺς αἰσχρά, is absorbed in the expansion of the sentence.

299. mvp-comment-177-1 πρὸς .. ἵστασθαι Το address themselves to shameful enterprizes.' Cp. Thuc. 6. 34. § 7, τῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα καὶ αἱ γνῶμαι ἵστανται.

300. mvp-comment-178-1 πανουργίας The plural of the abstract noun gives the concrete notion.

300. mvp-comment-178-2 πανουργίας ἔχειν, like θήραν ἔχειν, Αj. 564: ὕβριν ἔχειν, Od. 1. 368, etc.

301. mvp-comment-179-1 παντὸς ἔργου δυσσέβειαν The impiety of every deed; i. e. Every kind of impiety in action. Cp. O.T. 864-865, εὔσεπτον ἁγνείαν λόγων | ἔργων τε πάντων.

303. mvp-comment-180-1 He implies, This cannot be their first act of disloyalty.' The unity of time is not to be pressed in the Antigone: see below, 11. 1064 ff. Else this suspicion of inveterate disaffection, against one who has reigned only for a few hours, would be too extravagant. The elders were selected for their loyalty. supr. 165 ff.

308-311. mvp-comment-181-1 οὐχ ὑμὶν ῞Αιδης.. ἁρπάζητε] Death shall not alone suffice for you, but first you shall be hung up alive to show the heinousness of this offence, that for the future, in your wrongful gettings, you may know better where to look for gain. See Essay on Language § 37. p. 64. There is a confusion of two constructions: (1) οὐχ ὑμὶν ῞Αιδης ἀρκέσει, τo which μοῦνος is added for emphasis, i. e. οὐ θανεῖσθε μόνον: and (2) οὐ θανεῖσθε πρίν, κ.τ.λ. Cp. 1064 ff., and see Aj. 106 ff., θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὐτί πω θέλω, κ.τ.λ. The Φύλαξ is to take this message to his fellows.

313-314. mvp-comment-182-1 The sentence is redundant, either the article or ἢ σεσωσμένους being unnecessary. Weckl. reads σεσωμένους. For the article, cp. Eur. Phoen. 606, τοῦ μέρους ἔχων τὸ πλεῖον,

315. mvp-comment-183-1 εἰπεῖν τι δέ (v. rr.) is unmeaning. τι as in θέλεις τι μεῖζον, infr. 497.

316. mvp-comment-184-1 καὶ νῦν with λέγεις.

317. mvp-comment-185-1 δάκνει; (1) Act. impersonal. Is the smart in your ears or in your mind? Cp Hdt. 7. 16. Or (2) 2nd pers. pass. Are you stung? (2) agrees better with τὴν ἐμὴν λ. in the following line.

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.