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.
