25.
mvp-comment-18-1
εὑρίσκομεν] A vivid present, like φράζει,
infr. 31.
27.
mvp-comment-19-1
ἐκ χειρός] 'By hand of man,'— not by wild beasts, or lightning, or other visitation of heaven. αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις] 'Together with the guardians of the flock.' The death of the shepherds is again referred to,
infr. 232. 360, and was a necessary incident of the slaughter.
Cp. Il. 18. 529, of the ambush attacking the herd, κτεῖνον δ᾽ ἐπὶ μηλοβοτῆρας. And for the expression,
cp. Plat. Legg. 10. 906 A, ἢ γεωργοῖς περὶ φυτῶν γένεσιν .. ἢ καὶ ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις. Some have wrongly explained the words of the shepherd dogs, which are mentioned by Tecmessa,
infr. 297, but are not likely to occur to Odysseus. The well-known idiom, αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσι, etc., seems to arise out of the dative of concomitant circumstances. See E. on L. § 11. p. 18c, and
cp. O. T. 25, φθίνουσα .. κάλυξιν.
28.
mvp-comment-20-1
τήνδ᾽.. αἰτίαν] 'This blame,' i.e. the blame of this deed. νέμει has weaker MS. authority than τρέπει, which is, however, too physical a word in this connection, even though the dative ἐκείνῳ for εἰς ἐκεῖνον οἱ ἐπ᾿ ἐκείνῳ (
cp. infr. 772), might be defended. νέμειν is a favourite word with Sophocles. τρέπει is due to a gloss. See Scholia.
29.
mvp-comment-21-1
τις ὀπτήρ] 'A scout,' viz. one of the look-out men of the host, who naturally brings his information to Odysseus as the centre of intelligence.
Cp. infr. 379, Phil. 1013.
30.
mvp-comment-22-1
πηδῶντα πεδία] 'Bounding along the plain.' Accus. of the sphere of motion. E. on L. § 16. p. 23 c.
31.
mvp-comment-23-1
φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν] 'Gives intimation' (of the fact) 'and pointed out' (the direction).
32.
mvp-comment-24-1
κατ᾽ ἴχνος ἄσσω] 'Dart upon the track' (thus shown). καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι] 'And some indication I find.' The word is used of dogs in hunting; Opp. Cyn. 1. 454, μυξωτῆρσι.. σημήναντο.
33.
mvp-comment-25-1
κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅπου] 'And cannot tell where he is,' i.e. (1) εἴτ᾿ ἔνδον εἴτ᾿ οὐκ ἔνδον (l. 7,
supr.), 'whether he is in the tent or no.' Or (2) more generally (sc. ὁ αἴτιος), 'where is the object of my search?' i.e. whether in following Ajax I am really on the right track. Odysseus is describing his per-
33.
mvp-comment-25-2
plexity before the coming of Athena, and in these words simply confesses that he is at fault. He is speaking of his own past impressions, and here and
supr. 1. 23 does not at once realize what he has been told by Athena in ll. 7-10. As in O. T. 359, Trach. 184, the imperfect or gradual recognition of what has been said adds to the dramatic effect. Another reading is
κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅτου, in which
ὅτου, sc.
τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι, also gives a fair sense, but is not, like
οὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅπου, an idiom of Greek tragedy. Others supply
τὰ ἴχνη at once with
ὅτου and with
τὰ μὲν .. τὰ δέ. But the reference of the articles in this context can hardly be so precise as to be equivalent to
τὰ μὲν τῶν ἰχνῶν, κ.τ.λ., nor would
ἐκπέπληγμαι be used in such a connection. The Scholia show that
ὅπου was read, and that its interpretation was thought doubtful.
34.
mvp-comment-26-1
καιρὸν = ἐς καιρόν]
Cp. infr. 1316, 1168; or possibly an adverbial accusative,
cp. Pind. Pyth. 1. 156,
καιρὸν εἰ φθέγξαιο. Sο
καιρῷ = ἐν καιρῷ, O. T. 1516.
34-35.
mvp-comment-27-1
τὰ τ᾿ οὖν πάρος, κ.τ.λ.] 'My whole course whether past or to come is guided by thy will.'
οὖν, as in in
εἴτ᾽ οὖν, emphasizes the comprehensiveness of the expression.
κυβερνῶμαι is passive, and
πάντα adv. accus. Or (2)
κυβερνῶμαι may be middle, 'I guide (i.e. suffer to be guided) all my actions by thy hand.' In this way of taking the words the force of the middle voice of
κυβερνῶμαι is unusual, but that of the instrumental dative is more regular.
36.
mvp-comment-28-1
ἔγνων refers not to 34, 5, but to the preceding lines.
36-37.
mvp-comment-29-1
φύλαξ ἔβην, κ.τ.λ.] The order ἰς
ἔβην εἰς ὁδὸν πρόθυμος φύλαξ τῇ σῇ κυναγίᾳ, ' I came upon my path as a zealous guardian for thy chase.' E. on L. § 12. p. 19.
38.
mvp-comment-30-1
ἡ καί] ‘And is my endeavour really well-directed?'
ἡ asks the question with eager interest.
39.
mvp-comment-31-1
ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρός, κ.τ.λ.] Sc.
οὕτω νόει. σοι]
Cp. Ant. 37,
οὕτως ἔχει σοι ταῦτα. Ε. on L. § 13. p. 19 e.
40.
mvp-comment-32-1
'With what intent did he break forth in this ill-judged violence?' For the epithet,
cp. infr. 230,
παραπλήκτῳ χερί. It is unnecessary to suppose that
άΐσσω is transitive here.
Cp. the construction of 1. 42.
41.
mvp-comment-33-1
'Incensed with wrath because of the arms of Achilles.' A word on this subject is enough for Odysseus, to whom the arms had been adjudged. He understands at once that harm had been intended to himself and the generals.
42.
mvp-comment-34-1
'But why, then, this raid upon the flock? The construction of
ὅπλων, as genitive of the reason after
βαρυνθείς, is assisted by the substantive
χόλῳ preceding.
44.
mvp-comment-35-1
'And was this blow, then, really aimed against the Argives?'
45.
mvp-comment-36-1
κἂν ἐξεπράξατ'] 'He would actually have accomplished his design.' The middle voice is preferable as the harder reading, and signifies that the plan and execution would have been alike Ajax' own.
46.
mvp-comment-37-1
'What bold attempt inspired by recklessness do your words imply (
ταῖσδε)?'
47.
mvp-comment-38-1
δόλιος] i.e.
ἐπὶ δόλῳ, 'With crafty intent.' E. on L. §23. p. 39.
48.
mvp-comment-39-1
παρέστη] Sc.
ἡμῖν.
49.
mvp-comment-40-1
καὶ δή] ‘ Actually.’
50.
mvp-comment-41-1
Join
ἐπέσχε φόνου.
μαιμῶσαν is more expressive than the v. τ.
διψῶσαν, which is probably meant to be construed with
φόνου. For
πῶς, 'How came it that-?' cp. O. T. 1177,
πῶς δῆτ᾿ ἀφῆκας;
51.
mvp-comment-42-1
ἀπείργω] The vivid present (see v. rr.) is preferable to the aorist, as the less obvious reading. Join
ἀπείργω with
χαρᾶς, which is added in further explanation.
δυσφόρους γνώμας] ‘Overpowering fancies.'
δύσφορος has been supposed to be here equivalent το
παράφορος, 'false,' or 'misleading;' but this, (though a possible association of the word) is unnecessary. The natural meaning of 'grievous,' 'intolerable,' is slightly modified by the association of 'hard to resist,' or 'bear up against.' Ajax could not withstand the fatal illusion.
52.
mvp-comment-43-1
τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαρᾶς] ‘From his fatal pleasure.' The harm once done would have been irrevocable. For
χαpâς,
cp. infr. 114,
ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾶν.
53-54.
mvp-comment-44-1
πρός τε ποίμνας.. φρουρήματα] 'I turned him off upon the flocks, and the mixed charge of the herdsmen that was not yet divided from the spoil,' i. e. simply the sheep and oxen. Schndw. distinguishes between the sheep, which he assumes to have been kept in common to be slaughtered as food, and the oxen, which were gradually distributed as booty. That no such exact definition is intended here is proved by
supr. 25-7,
λείας ἁπάσας .. αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις. The words
λείας ἄδαστα are added, to show that the act of Ajax would provoke the whole army to be enraged against him with one consent.
Cp. infr. 145-6, 408-9.
55.
mvp-comment-45-1
ἔκειρε is imperfect. The syllable
κειρ is echoed in
πολύκερων. The cognate accusative and hypallage together cannot be literally rendered in English. 'He made bloody havoc with the horned multitude, felling them on all sides of him.'
57.
mvp-comment-46-1
ἔχων] ‘Having them in his power.'
μέν (l. 56) with
δέ in l. 59, contrasts the belief of Ajax with the reality described in 59, 60. Or, possibly (2)
μέν points forward to a
dé which is lost in l. 58, 1.ε.
ἐστὶ μὲν .. ἐστὶ δὲ ..
Cp. Ant. 165-7,
τοῦτο μὲν .. τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις.
58.
mvp-comment-47-1
i.e.
ἔσθ' ὅτε ἐδόκει κτείνειν ἄλλους τῶν στρατηλατῶν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλον, ('somebody else, now one and now another,')
ἐμπίτνων, sc.
τῇ ἀγέλῃ.
59-60.
mvp-comment-48-1
(1) And as the man ranged to and fro, I urged him with maddening frenzy, and drave him into the evil net;' or (2), construing
μανιάσιν νόσοις with
φοιτώντα, ‘As he bounded to and fro in frenzy, I urged and drave him,' etc. In the latter case the expression is proleptic. The Scholion
οι ἕρκη, εἰς ἐρινῦν κακήν, perhaps conceals a v. r.
eἰς ἄρκυν κακήν. But
cp. Od. 21. 238, 384,
ἀνδρῶν ἡμετέροισιν ἐν ἕρκεσι.
61.
mvp-comment-49-1
'And then, when he had remission of this toil.'
πόνου, the more general word, is better than
φόνου, which is tautological.
πόνου in connection with the preceding words, implies that the vain task was imposed on Ajax by the will of Athena.
63.
mvp-comment-50-1
ποίμνας τε πάσας] When the chief of the flock were bound and dragged away, the rest would follow.
Cp. infr. 296.
64.
mvp-comment-51-1
εὔκερων] This epithet applies to the sheep as well as to the kine.
65.
mvp-comment-52-1
συνδέτους is rather 'tied together' than bound hand and foot.'
66.
mvp-comment-53-1
(1) 'Come, I will show thee this affliction in full sight.'
περιφανή predicative. Or (2), taking the word attributively, 'this signal frenzy.'
Cp. infr. 81 and note,
infr. 229.
67.
mvp-comment-54-1
ὡς .. θροῇς]· That you may noise it abroad.'
Cp. infr. 149,
εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεύς.
68.
mvp-comment-55-1
συμφορὰν δέχου τὸν ἄνδρα] 'Look for his coming as a misfortune:' sc.
ὡς συμφοράν.
Cp. Ο. C. 142,
μή μ', ἱκετεύω, προσίδητ᾽ ἄνομον. And see E. on L. § 39. p. 73.
69-70.
mvp-comment-56-1
ὀμμάτων .. εἰσιδεῖν] I will divert the effluence of his eyes, and debar them from the sight of you.'
ἀποστρόφους is predicative: i.e.
ἀποστρέφουσα αὐτάς. On the ancient theory of vision and its effect on language, see E. on L. $ 54. p. 99.
μή is omitted after
εἴργω, as after
κωλύω: i.e.
τὸ μὴ εἰσιδεῖν νιν σὴν πρόσοψιν, ‘I will turn away the light of his eyes, so that your form shall be invisible to him.'
Cp. Phil. 1407,
εἴρξω πελάζειν.
71.
mvp-comment-57-1
Athena faces the tent and raises her voice.
72.
mvp-comment-58-1
ἀπευθύνοντα has been taken literally, 'to bind straight or fast.' But although the image of a constrained position is suggested by the word, it retains its more general meaning of 'reducing to order or subjection,' as in Eur. Bacch. 884-6,
ἀπευθύνει δὲ βροτῶν | τοὺς τ᾿ ἀγνωμοσύναν τιμῶντας καὶ μὴ τὰ θεῶν | αὔξοντας ξὺν μαινομένᾳ δόξα.
74.
mvp-comment-59-1
σφ', although omitted by L, is probably genuine.
75.
mvp-comment-60-1
μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖς] ‘And not give way to cowardice.' See E. on L. § 30. p. 52 d.
ἀρεῖ, which Schndw. and Dindorf prefer, would mean, 'Do not bring upon yourself the imputation of cowardice,' a less appropriate expression.
76.
mvp-comment-61-1
ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων] 'Enough that he is there, but let him not come forth.' E. on L. § 36. p. 63 а.
77.
mvp-comment-62-1
'For fear of what? Is he now for the first time a man?' Athena ironically rallies Odysseus on his fear of seeing the madman. As Odysseus presently finds, Ajax in his madness is to be pitied, not to be feared. For the emphatic
ἀνήρ,
cp. Ο. C. 393,
ὅτ' οὐκέτ᾽ εἰμί, τηνικαῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ εἴμ᾿ ἀνήρ ; Others take the words to mean, 'Up to this time was he not a (mortal) man?' in which is implied the thought, 'Is he more than a man now?' In either case the general meaning is, 'You used not to be afraid of him; why should you be so now?'
79.
mvp-comment-63-1
γελᾶν] The epexegetic infinitive follows the adjective
ἥδιστος, and
εἰς ἐχθρούς is to be taken both with
γέλως and
γελάν. 'Is not laughter pleasantest at foes?'
81.
mvp-comment-64-1
περιφανώς may be taken either with (1)
μεμηνότα, or (2) with
ἰδεῖν. Other uses of
περιφανῶς are in favour of (1).
81.
mvp-comment-64-2
the former (1), but it makes better sense to join the adverb here with the whole expression; i.e. not. 'You shrink from seeing a man who is clearly insane,' but, 'You shrink from seeing plainly a man's madness.'
Cp. infr. 229,
περίφαντος. The same meaning may be obtained, however, by supposing the adverb in (1) to be used proleptically, (3) 'You shrink from seeing a man's madness clearly shown.'
84.
mvp-comment-65-1
ὀφθαλμοῖς γε]
γε adds emphasis; i.e. though his mind is alienated, he surely has not changed eyes.
85.
mvp-comment-66-1
καὶ δεδορκότα)
καὶ = καίπερ.
Cp. Pind. Ol. 7. 55,
αἱ δὲ φρενῶν ταραχαὶ παρέπλαγξαν καὶ σοφόν.
86.
mvp-comment-67-1
μένταν] • Well, after all.'
μέντοι admits and enforces the correcting statement, which it sets over against that which is corrected, viz. l. 84. For
γένοιτ' ἂν.. πᾶν,
cp. Hdt. 4. 195,
εἴη δ᾽ ἂν πᾶν.
88.
mvp-comment-68-1
μένοιμ' ἄν] I shall have to stay.
ἐκτός] 'Out of the way,' as in
ἐκτὸς κλαυμάτων, πημάτων ('out of harm's way'). See L. and S. s. v.
90.
mvp-comment-69-1
Athena affects to rally Ajax for disregarding her help on this occasion, as he had before scornfully rejected it.
Cp. infr. 774, 5. This helps to bring out his unconsciousness of her displeasure.
τῆς συμμάχου]
Cp. l. 60.
91.
mvp-comment-70-1
Ajax enters with the scourge in his hand. It is from this scene that the play takes its name of
Alaς μαστιγοφόρος. ll. 91-3 may be contrasted with 176 foll. Ajax is not by nature impious, although in the pride of his youth he may have been guilty of impiety; but he speaks to the goddess with the blunt familiarity of a comrade in arms.
καί in l. 92 has an encouraging, almost patronizing, sound.
93.
mvp-comment-71-1
στέψω] 'I will grace' or 'honour' thee.
94.
mvp-comment-72-1
ἐκεῖνο] 'That other thing.' For a similar emphatic use of the pronoun (with comic exaggeration),
cp. Aristoph. Nub. 655-7,
οὐ γάρ, ᾠζυρέ, τούτων ἐπιθυμῶ μανθάνειν οὐδέν. ΣΩ. τί δαί; | ΣΤ. ἐκεῖν ἐκεῖνο, τὸν ἀδικώτερον λόγον.
96.
mvp-comment-73-1
κόμπος πάρεστι] 'I am free to boast' (of that).
97.
mvp-comment-74-1
πρὸς ᾿Ατρείδαισιν ἤχμασας χέρα] 'Did you make an armed attack upon the Atreidae?' The construction with
πρός is continued from l. 95.
χέρα, ας
supr. 40, is cogn. accus. in the sense of 'a violent act.'
Cp. Trach. 355. Musgr. conj.
ήμαξας.
Cp. infr. 453. The use of
χέρα here as cogn. accus. without an epithet is somewhat singular.
98.
mvp-comment-75-1
οἵδ'] He believes them to be lying dead within the tent.
Cp. infr. 237 ff.
101.
mvp-comment-76-1
εἰεν, τί γὰρ δή] «Enough. For I would know.' She professes to turn her thoughts from the Atreidae to Odysseus, who is more interesting as the especial enemy of Ajax.
102.
mvp-comment-77-1
ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν ;] · What have you done with him? Where stands he now?'
σοι implies that Odysseus is in Ajax' power.
103.
mvp-comment-78-1
τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος] «The accursed fox.' The verbal, by a sort of prolepsis, expresses what ought to be.
Cp. the Homeric
οὐλόμενος. -The fox is at once noxious and cunning.
104.
mvp-comment-79-1
The stop after
ἔγωγ' makes the expression more pointed, and agrees better with the use of
λέγω than if
ἔγωγ᾽ Οδυσσέα, κ.τ.λ. were read.
ἐνστάτην] 'Opponent.'
Cp. Thuc. 8. 69,
ἤν τις ἐνιστῆται τοῖς ποιουμένοις.
105.
mvp-comment-80-1
ἥδιστος] 'Most welcome.'
Cp. Εl. 929,
ἡδύς, οὐδὲ μητρὶ δυσχερής.
106.
mvp-comment-81-1
θακεῖ] The ram taken for Odysseus had already been made to sit upwards against the pillar (
infr. 240,
cp. 108).
107.
mvp-comment-82-1
κερδάνῃς] This is said in bitter irony. Ajax is not gaining but losing all.
108.
mvp-comment-83-1
κίον᾿ ἑρκείου στέγης] ‘The roof-supporting pillar of my house.'
110.
mvp-comment-84-1
It has been thought necessary to alter this line because of the pleonasm of
θάνῃ, which, however, is natural enough after the interruption.
Cp. Trach. 1130-3,
τέθνηκεν . . πρὶν ὡς χρῆν σφ᾽ ἐξ ἐμῆς θανεῖν χερός: Phil. 1329-1334,
παῦλαν .. μήποτ᾿ ἂν τυχεῖν | νόσου βαρείας.. | πρὶν ἂν | τῶν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἐντυχὼν ᾿Ασκληπιδῶν | νόσου μαλαχθῇς τῆσδε. The principal notion is expressed by the participle. 'He shall not die till he is whipped to death.'
πρῶτον resumes
πρὶν ἄν, l. 108.
φοινιχθείς] «Crimsoned.' The word conveys the murderous energy of Ajax' mood.
111.
mvp-comment-85-1
Athena affects pity for Odysseus in order to rouse Ajax more, and so to make the situation more striking to Odysseus.
112.
mvp-comment-86-1
'In all else, Athena, I would have thee to enjoy thy will.' For the construction,
cp. Aesch. Cho. 1038-9.
114.
mvp-comment-87-1
σὺ δ᾽ οὖν] 'Well, and you for your part.'
τέρψις ἥδε.. τὸ δρᾶν] i. e.
τέρψις τὸ δρᾶν ὧδε. Essay on L. § 35. p. 60.
116.
mvp-comment-88-1
τοῦτό σοι δ' ἐφίεμαι] These words have been unnecessarily altered by some editors because of the postponement of
δέ. For the omission of the vocative, giving a tone of peremptoriness and familiarity,
cp. O. Τ. 637,
οὐκ εἰ σύ τ' οἴκους, κ.τ.λ. The proximity of
ἐφίεμαι in 112 suggests the repetition of the word in a slightly different sense.
117.
mvp-comment-89-1
Ajax retires into the hut.
119-120.
mvp-comment-90-1
τίς ἄν σοι.. εὑρέθη] 'Whom could you have found, if you had sought for such a one formerly?' The aorist with
av here denotes possibility in past time, as in Trach. 707, 8,
πόθεν γὰρ ἂν .. | ἐμοὶ παρέσχ᾽ εὔνοιαν?
προνούστερος] The Ajax of Sophocles is clear-sighted as well as prompt in action. This touch prepares us for his profound feeling of the situation, when he awakes from his madness.
Cp. Il. 7. 197, where Ajax says,
Οὐ γάρ τις με βίῃ γε ἑκὼν ἀέκοντα δίηται, | οὐδὲ μὲν ἰδρείῃ, κ.τ.λ.
121.
mvp-comment-91-1
For this division of the senarius,
cp. El. 1302.
122.
mvp-comment-92-1
ἔμπης (or
ἔμπας) is to be joined in sense with
ἐποικτείρω. It is strange that Hermann should have joined it to
δύστηνον. Like
ὅμως,
εὐθύς, and other words, which strictly belong to the apodosis,
ἔμπας verbally adheres to the protasis.
Cp. infr. 563.
123.
mvp-comment-93-1
'Because he is fast yoked with an evil doom.' The calamity from which he cannot disengage himself is imagined as a yokefellow of Ajax that is too strong for him.
128.
mvp-comment-94-1
αὐτός] Odysseus is warned not to do as Ajax had done.
Cp. infr. 773. Hence the emphatic pronoun.
129.
mvp-comment-95-1
μηδ' ὄγκον ἄρῃ μηδέν'] 'Nor take on thee a lofty mien.' The middle voice (see above, l. 75) is here more appropriate.
Cp. the expression
ὄγκον περιθείναί τινι, Plut. Pericl. 4.
130.
mvp-comment-96-1
χειρί] 'In might.'
μακροῦ πλούτου βάθει] The v. r.
βάρει may be supported from Eur. El. 1287,
δότω πλούτου βάρος, but is less likely with
βρίθεις preceding than
βάθει, for which,
cp. βαθύπλουτος.
μακρός in poetry is often equivalent to
μέγας. L. and S. s. v. 1. 4. Some new verb, such as
πληθύεις, is to be supplied with
βάθει.
131.
mvp-comment-97-1
ἡμέρα] 'Time in its course,' i. e.
ἡ ἀεὶ οὖσα ἡμέρα. For this generalized use,
cp. especially
infr. 624,
παλαίᾳ ἕντροφος ἁμέρα: Ο. C. 1138,
ἐς τόδ' ἡμέρας. For the sentiment,
cp. Ant. 1158-60,
τύχη γὰρ ὀρθοῖ καὶ τύχη καταρρέπει | τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα τὸν τε δυστυχοῦντ᾽ ἀεί· | καὶ μάντις οὐδεὶς τῶν καθεστώτων βροτοῖς. But the point here lies in the combination of the two
γνῶμαι. The two considerations are urged side by side, that Fortune is unstable, and that God cares for the righteous. Therefore, do not trust to fortune, but be righteous.
131-132.
mvp-comment-98-1
'Time makes all human things to set and rise again, but the gods love the righteous, while they abhor the wicked."
132-133.
mvp-comment-99-1
σώφρονας .. κακούς] For the inexact antithesis of the general to the specific word, see Essay on L. § 51. p.97.
134-200.
mvp-comment-100-1
The first part of the parodos consists of six anapaestic systems (ll. 134-171), during the recitation of which the Chorus pace to and fro in the orchestra, before the tent of Ajax. This long-continued movement, which betokens the restless anxiety of the mariners for their prince, also strikes a note in harmony with the feelings of the spectator, to whom the horror that is going on within has already been revealed. He knows that their dreadful apprehensions are only too true. It is followed by a strophe, antistrophe, and epode (ll. 172-200), which mark the climax of their agitation before the entrance of Tecmessa.
134.
mvp-comment-101-1
Τελαμώνιε]
Cp. Pind. Pyth. 2. 35,
ὦ Δεινομένειε παῖ.
135.
mvp-comment-102-1
ἔχων] ‘Lord of-.'
Cp. Pind. Nem. 4. 78,
Αἴας Σαλαμῖν ἔχει πατρώαν.
ἀγχιάλου] 'Seaward.' The ancient town of Salamis was on the side of the island towards the open sea, Strabo, 9, p. 393.
Cp. Pind. Ol. 10. 99,
εἰναλία τ' Έλευσις : Aesch. Pers. 887.
136.
mvp-comment-103-1
σὲ μέν] The Attic' accusative after the intransitive verb (Essay on L. §§ 16. p. 23) here assists the antithesis το
σὲ δ᾽ ὅταν... ἐπιβῇ, κ.τ.λ.
137-138.
mvp-comment-104-1
'But when a stroke from Zeus, or angry clamour from the Danaï assails thee with evil-boding words.'
139-140.
mvp-comment-105-1
'I shrink and quiver with fear like the eye of any fluttering dove.'
ὄkvos is the fear that paralyses action. The eye, as the part which expresses fear, is put for the whole.
Cp. the expression of Keble, 'Tenderer than a dove's soft eye.'
Cp. also the uses of
χείρ, πούς, κάρα, βία, σθένος, στόμα, in denoting persons.
πτηνῆς suggests something that is easily fluttered. Pierson's conj.
φήνης ὡς ὄμμα πελειάς, ' As the dove fears the sight (?) of the falcon,' is unnecessary and tasteless. The image of the falcon would be a bad preparation for that of the small birds, 141
φθιμένης]
Cp. Od. 11. 330,
πρὶν γάρ κεν καὶ νὺξ φθῖτ᾽ ἄμβροτος. The genitive is in a somewhat loose connection with what follows; either (1) with
ὀλέσαι, 'that in the night that is just gone thou didst destroy;' or (2) with
θόρυβοι, ' in respect of the now-past night.'
142.
mvp-comment-106-1
'A terrible rumour afflicts us.'
143.
mvp-comment-107-1
ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ] ‘Threatening dishonour.'
ἐπί from meaning purpose, as in
ἐπὶ διαφθορῇ (Hdt. 4. 164),
ἐπὶ θανάτῳ (Hdt. 9. 37), comes to express tendency.
ἱππομανή] 'Where the steeds run wild,' or 'gallop at will.' Lit. 'raving with horses.' Essay on L. § 55. p. 102. The cattle were temporarily kept in the meadow where the horses of the chieftains used to be turned out to graze. The word suggests their movements, 'Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud,' when freed from harness and the stall.
144.
mvp-comment-108-1
λειμῶν᾽ ἐπιβάντ'] The accusative implies not merely that the meadow was entered, but that it was swiftly reached.
145-146.
mvp-comment-109-1
λείαν, ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτ᾿ ἦν λοιπή] «The cattle that still remained of those taken in war;' i. e.
ἐκ τῆς δοριλήπτου λείας. Cp. supr. 53, 4,
σύμμικτά τε | λείας ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα.
147.
mvp-comment-110-1
κτείνοντ'] We pass from the momentary conception of the act (
ὀλέσαι) to the continuous description of it: hence the present participle.
Cp. supr. ll. 55 foll. Here, as elsewhere, the choric part contains a reminiscence of the dialogue.
148.
mvp-comment-111-1
These words obviously refer to the report brought by Odysseus after receiving full information from Athena.
Cp. supr. 67. But, if so, some time must be supposed to have elapsed after his exit before the entrance of the chorus.
150.
mvp-comment-112-1
καὶ σφόδρα πείθει] ‘And wins much credence.'
vûv is to be joined with
εὔπειστα. 'Things of which it is now easy to persuade men:' now, since Ajax' defeat in the contest for the arms, which is known to have enraged him.
Cp. infr. 929-36 and note.
152-153.
mvp-comment-113-1
'And each who hears rejoices, more than him who spake, to insult over thy woes.' The participle is added to complete the sense of
χαίρων.
ἄχεσιν is dative of the cause or occasion.
Cp. infr. 955.
155.
mvp-comment-114-1
ἁμάρτοι] For the omission of
τις, which is supplied in the next sentence, see Essay on L. § 39. P. 72, 3. This is the harder and more dignified reading.
157.
mvp-comment-115-1
ἔρπει implies a stealthy advance, differing from
στείχει, which would signify open menace.
Cp. Pind. Nem. 8. 36,
ἅπτεται δ᾽ ἐσλῶν ἀεί, χειρόνεσσι δ᾽ οὐκ ἐρίζει: Pyth. 11. 45, 6.
ἴσχει γὰρ ὄλβος οὐ μείονα φθύνον· | ὁ δὲ χαμηλὰ πνέων ἄφαντον βρέμει.
158-159.
mvp-comment-116-1
Some have here supposed a metaphor from building, large and small stones together making the strongest wall. This is fanciful, and not contained in the words; but in any case
πύργου ῥῦμα is a 'tower of defence' (Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6), and not 'means of defending a tower,' because
ῥύεσθαι can hardly mean 'to man,' although in Aesch. S. c. T. 823, it is used of the Divine protection of Thebes. For the whole phrase,
cp. Od. 11. 556 (said with reference to Ajax):
τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο: Alc. fr. 23,
ἄνδρες πόληος πύργος ἀρεύϊοι : Aesch. Pers. 347.
160-161.
mvp-comment-117-1
ἄριστ᾽ ἂν. ὀρθοῖθ᾽'Will best be made secure.'
Cp. Thuc. 6. 18, § 4,
ὁμοῦ δὲ τό τε φαῦλον καὶ τὸ μέσον καὶ τὸ πάνυ ἀκριβὲς ἂν ξυγκραθὲν μάλιστ᾽ ἂν ἰσχύειν.
βαιός] Lit. 'few,' hence 'feeble.'
161.
mvp-comment-118-1
ὑπό marks that the lesser are to serve the greater:
μετά, that the great require the cooperation of the less.
162-163.
mvp-comment-119-1
'But foolish men cannot be instructed in these truths.'
τούτων γνώμας = ' right judgments about these things.'
164.
mvp-comment-120-1
τοιούτων, sc.
οὕτως ἀνοήτων. 'So foolish are they that clamour against thee,' that there is no hope of bringing them to a better mind.
165.
mvp-comment-121-1
πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἀπαλέξασθαι] Sc.
ταῦτα. 'This being so, we have no strength to avert this.'
167.
mvp-comment-122-1
'But then the truth is that when they have escaped from thine eye.'
γάρ covers the whole sentence, and the emphasis is on the latter part, viz.
μέγαν, κ.τ.λ. The Chorus mean to say: 'Though we are weak, yet Ajax is strong, and the clamour will subside when he appears.'
169.
mvp-comment-123-1
The correction of Dawes, which restores the metre by the insertion of
δέ, is probably right. For the meaning,
cp. Alc. fr. 27.
ἔπταζον ὥστ᾽ ὄρνιθες ὦκυν | αἴετον ἐξαπίνας φάνεντα, which also helps to support the punctuation in l. 170.
170.
mvp-comment-124-1
τάχ᾿ ἄν] 'Soon would they.'
171.
mvp-comment-125-1
σιγῇ .. ἄφωνοι] Essay on L. §40. p. 75. 'Their noise would be hushed, and they would cower without a word.'
172-200.
mvp-comment-126-1
Beginning from a dactylic movement, the ode (expressing the combination of deep sadness with eager hope) continues with trochaic, iambic, and dactylic rhythms, as follows:- ... The slow movement with frequent long syllables increases towards the close.
172.
mvp-comment-127-1
ἡ ῥα .. Ἄρτεμις] Can it be, as I suspect (
pa), that Artemis?'
Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις] 'Bull-riding Artemis, daughter of Zeus,' conveys the image of the goddess riding on a bull, as she sometimes appears on coins. In this character (probably derived from the East) Artemis was worshipped in different places with orgiastic rites. Euripides, I. T. 1449 foll., associates this name of Artemis with the supposed derivation of her worship under this attribute from the Tauric Chersonese. She is here alluded to (1) as the subduer of cattle, (2) as the inspirer of frenzy.
173.
mvp-comment-128-1
ὦ μεγάλα φάτις] ‘Terrible thought!' The simple word
μεγάλα has here the special connotation of 'tremendous' or 'overwhelming;' just as the general word
κακούς,
supr. 133, is opposed to the special word
σώφρονας. The Chorus cannot speak of Ajax' supposed error without interposing this expression of horror.
175.
mvp-comment-129-1
πανδάμους]
Cp. supr. ll. 53, 4, and note.
ἀγελαίας] (1) Grazing oxen are so called in contradistinction to the labouring ox that is fed at a stall. Or, possibly, (2) the word simply denotes the whole herd of oxen belonging to the host, - the
πάνδημος ἀγέλη.
176.
mvp-comment-130-1
ἡ που] 'Surely, it must have been.'
Cp. Trach. 846, 7, where
ἢ που is reiterated.
τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν] 'Because of a gift of victory that brought her no return.'
χάριν = διὰ χάριν. This unusual construction is softened by a reminiscence of the more ordinary (adverbial) use of
χάριν = 'because of.' For this confusion, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 67; and
cp. Eur. I. T. 566,
κακῆς γυναικός χάριν ἄχαριν ἀπώλετο.
177.
mvp-comment-131-1
ἤ ῥα .. εἴτε] 'Either, as I suspect,.. or whether it were.'
Cp. Eur. Alc. 114, 5,
ἢ Λυκίας | εἴτ᾽ ἐπὶ τὰς ᾿Αμμωνίδας ἕδρας.
177-178.
mvp-comment-132-1
'Disappointed of glorious spoils, or (provoked) because the fall of the stag was followed by no gift.' The MS. reading
ψευσθεῖσα δώροις, ‘deceived in the matter of gifts,' is hardly Greek. For the dative,
ἀδώροις.. ἐλαφηβολίαις, see Essay on L. § 14. p. 21, and for the order of the words, ibid. § 41. p. 77.
179.
mvp-comment-133-1
- By reading
τιν' for
ἤ τιν' a possible construction is obtained, although the text remains doubtful. 'Or can it be that Enyalius of the brazen corslet,' etc. The conjj.
ἥντιν', δή τιν', εἴ τιν', are not satisfactory:
σοί τιν' (Reiske) is better (sc.
μομφὰν ἔχων). The repetition of the
η sound in this passage (ll. 176 9,
ἢ που, ἤ ῥα, ἤ, ἦ) may have had some poetical or musical effect of which we cannot judge.
180.
mvp-comment-134-1
μομφὰν . . δορός] ‘Having fault to find with thee on account of his spear associated with thine,' i.e. by reason of some help which he had given thee in battle. Perhaps there is a reminiscence, although the sense is different, of the Epic
ξυνὸς Ἐνυάλιος. which Eur. has otherwise applied in Phoen. 1572,
κοινὸν ἐνυάλιον . . μαρναμένους.
ἐννυχίοις μαχαναῖς] ‘By contriving against thee in the night.'
181.
mvp-comment-135-1
ἐτίσατο λώβαν] Either (1) 'Punished the wrong done to him,'-
τίσασθαι λώβην in ΙΙ. 19. 208, Od. 20. 169, Hes. Theog. 165, is 'to revenge oneself for an outrage:'-or (2) 'Did thee vengeful despite,'
λώβαν cogn. acc.
Cp. infr. 217,
νύκτερος ἀπελωβήθη: 304,
ὕβριν ἐκτίσαιτ᾽: Il. 13. 622, 3.
