Ajax. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
mvp-comment-96-1 οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου 1
mvp-comment-97-1 εἴδωλ’ … σκιάν 2
mvp-comment-98-1 αὐτὸς 3
mvp-comment-99-1 ὄγκον 4
mvp-comment-99-2 ἄρῃ 5 α^ 6 ἄρῃς 7
mvp-comment-100-1 βρίθεις 8
mvp-comment-100-2 μακροῦ 9
mvp-comment-100-3 πλούτου βάθει 10 βάρει 11
mvp-comment-101-1 ἡμέρα 12
mvp-comment-101-2 κλίνει 13
mvp-comment-101-3 κἀνάγει 14
mvp-comment-102-1 κακούς 15
mvp-comment-103-1 Τελαμώνιε παῖ 16
mvp-comment-103-2 Σαλαμῖνος 17 βάθρον 18
mvp-comment-103-3 τῆς ἀμφιρύτου Σαλαμῖνος … ἀγχιάλου 19 τῆς ἀμφιρύτου 20 ἀγχιάλου 21
mvp-comment-103-4
ἀγχίαλος was properly said of a place
on the sea-coast (
Il. 2. 640
Χαλκίδα τ’ ἀγχίαλον). In
Aesch.
Pers. 888
it is a mere general epithet for
islands (Lemnos, Icaros, etc.). Here, in the Athenian poet's mind, it has its proper sense, for he is thinking of Salamis as a fringe of the Attic coast; and it is again the Athenian's point of view which interprets the true relation of
ἀγχιάλου to
ἀμφιρύτου.
mvp-comment-103-5 ἔχων 22
mvp-comment-104-1 σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντ’ ἐπιχαίρω 23
mvp-comment-105-1 πληγὴ Διὸς 24
mvp-comment-105-2 ζαμενὴς 25
mvp-comment-105-3 λόγος … κακόθρους 26
mvp-comment-105-4 ἐπιβῇ 27
mvp-comment-106-1 πεφόβημαι 28
mvp-comment-106-2 πτηνῆς 29
mvp-comment-106-3 ὄμμα πελείας 30
mvp-comment-107-1 τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς 31
mvp-comment-107-2 ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ 32
mvp-comment-108-1 τὸν ἱππομανῆ λειμῶν’ 33
mvp-comment-109-1 βοτὰ καὶ λείαν 34 λοιπὴ 35
mvp-comment-109-2 αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ 36
mvp-comment-110-1 ψιθύρους 37
mvp-comment-110-2 πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσείς 38
mvp-comment-111-1 εὔπειστα 39 εὔπειστα 40 εὔπιστα 41
mvp-comment-112-1 τοῦ λέξαντος 42
mvp-comment-113-1 ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων 43
mvp-comment-114-1 τῶν … μεγάλων ψυχῶν 44
mvp-comment-114-2 ἱεὶς 45
mvp-comment-114-3 ἁμάρτοις 46 ἁμάρτοι 47
mvp-comment-114-4 κατὰ δ’ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ 48
mvp-comment-115-1 τὸν ἔχονθ’ 49
mvp-comment-115-2 ὁ φθόνος 50
mvp-comment-116-1 πύργου ῥῦμα 51
mvp-comment-117-1 μετὰ 52 ὑπό 53
mvp-comment-117-2 ὀρθοῖθ’ 54
mvp-comment-118-1 τούτων γνώμας 55 προδιδάσκειν 56
mvp-comment-119-1 τοιούτων 57
mvp-comment-119-2 ἀπαλέξασθαι 58
mvp-comment-120-1 ἀλλ’ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ … πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι 59 δ’ 60
mvp-comment-120-2 (1) ἀλλὰ 61
mvp-comment-120-3 (2) ἀλλὰ … γὰρ 62
mvp-comment-120-4 (3) The reading μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δ’ ὑποδείσαντες 63 ἀπέδραν 64
mvp-comment-120-5 (4) This reading is confirmed by the fact that since ὑποδείσαντες 65
mvp-comment-120-6 ὅτε … δὴ 66
mvp-comment-120-7 ἀπέδραν 67
mvp-comment-120-8 αἰγυπιὸν 68
mvp-comment-120-9 τάχ’ ἂν 69 ἐξαίφνης 70 πτήξειαν 71
mvp-comment-120-10 σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι 72
mvp-comment-121-1 The Chorus being now drawn up in the orchestra (134 n.), the lyric part of the Parodos begins. Strophe 172—182=antistr. 183—193: epode 194 —200. For metres, see Metrical Analysis.
mvp-comment-121-2 ἦ ῥά σε 73 ἦ 74 ἠέ 75
mvp-comment-121-3 The sailors ask whether Artemis or Ares can have driven Ajax to such a deed. In connection with their chief, the deities of hunting and war naturally occur to them. They do not think of Athena.
mvp-comment-121-4 Ταυροπόλα 76
mvp-comment-121-5
It is possible that Sophocles here was thinking
only of the
Ταυροπόλος proper, and names her simply because bulls had been among the victims of Ajax. On the other hand, the savage nature of the bloody onslaught might suggest that she was associated in his thought with the
Ταυρική. Such an association occurs as early as
I. T. 1457 where the Brauronian Artemis (
ἐπώνυμον γῆς Ταυρικῆς, 1454) is called
Ταυροπόλος. The dithyrambic poet Timotheus of Miletus (
c. 400 B.C.) addressed the Ephesian Artemis as
μαινάδα, θυιάδα, φοιβάδα, λυσσάδα (Bergk fr. 1). See Appendix.
mvp-comment-121-6 Διὸς 77
mvp-comment-122-1 μεγάλα 78
mvp-comment-122-2 μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς 79
mvp-comment-123-1 πανδάμους … βοῦς 80
mvp-comment-124-1 ἦ που 81
mvp-comment-124-2 νίκας τινὸς ἀκάρπωτον χάριν 82 ἤ ῥα … ψευσθεῖσα ἐνάρων 83 εἴτ’ ἀδώροις ἐλαφαβολίαις 84
mvp-comment-124-3 νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν 85
mvp-comment-124-4 ἤ ῥα 86 ἢ … εἴτε 87
mvp-comment-124-5 κλυτῶν 88
mvp-comment-124-6 ψευσθεῖσα 89
mvp-comment-124-7 ἀδώροις … ἐλαφαβολίαις 90 δώροις 91 ἀδώροις 92
mvp-comment-124-8 ἐλαφαβολίαις 93
mvp-comment-124-9
The causes here conjectured for her wrath remind us of her anger with Oeneus, who had failed to render firstfruits at harvest-tide (
Il. 9. 534
χωσαμένη, ὅ οἱ οὔ τι θαλύσια γουνῷ ἀλωῆς | Οἰνεὺς ῥέξ’). Cp.
Eur.
Hipp. 147
where the Chorus suggest that the Cretan Dictynna may be wroth with Phaedra, as
ἀνίερος ἀθύτων πελάνων (for having failed to make holy offerings of honey-cakes).
mvp-comment-125-1 ἢ 94 μὴ 95 ἤ 96 μή 97 δή 98 σοί 99 εἴ 100 ἦ 101
mvp-comment-125-2 Ἐνυάλιος 102
mvp-comment-126-1 μομφὰν ἔχων 103
mvp-comment-126-2 ξυνοῦ δορὸς 104 ξυνοῦ 105
mvp-comment-126-3 ἐννυχίοις μαχαναῖς 106
mvp-comment-126-4 ἐτείσατο 107
mvp-comment-127-1 φρενόθεν γ’ 108 γε 109
mvp-comment-127-2 ἐπ’ ἀριστερὰ … ἔβας 110
mvp-comment-127-3 τόσσον 111
mvp-comment-127-4 πίτνων 112
mvp-comment-128-1 ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν 113 γὰρ 114
mvp-comment-128-2 From verse 172 down to this point, the Chorus have been asking whether the rumour can be true. Now they pass to the alternative:—‘But if it is untrue, then up and refute it.’
mvp-comment-128-3 Ζεὺς … Φοῖβος 115
mvp-comment-129-1 ὑποβαλλόμενοι 116
mvp-comment-130-1 κλέπτουσι μύθους 117 ὑποβαλλόμενοι 118 κλέπτουσι 119 μύθους 120
mvp-comment-130-2 οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς 121
mvp-comment-131-1 ἢ τᾶς 122
mvp-comment-131-2 ἀσώτου 123
mvp-comment-131-3 Σισυφιδᾶν 124
mvp-comment-132-1 μή, μή μ’, ἄναξ 125 μ’ 126 κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ 127
mvp-comment-132-2
The simplest remedy is that which is proposed by Prof. v. Wilamowitz-Möllendorff (cr. n.), who, referring to the hiatus after
ἄνα in 193, would here omit
μ’
128
μή, μή, ἄναξ
129
μὴ μηκέτ’, ὦναξ
130
mvp-comment-132-3 κλισίαις ὄμμ’ ἔχων 131 ὧδ’ 132 ἄρῃ 133 α 134
mvp-comment-133-1 ἄνα 135
mvp-comment-133-2 ὅπου … ποτέ 136 ποτὲ 137 ποτὶ 138
mvp-comment-133-3 ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ 139
mvp-comment-134-1 ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων 140
mvp-comment-135-1 ἀτάρβητα 141 ὧδ’ 142 ἀτάρβητος 143 ἀτάρβητα 144 ἀτάρβητα ὁρμᾶται 145
mvp-comment-135-2 εὐανέμοις 146 α^ 147 α— 148
mvp-comment-135-3 βάσσαις 149
mvp-comment-136-1 καγχαζόντων 150 καχαζόντων 151
mvp-comment-136-2 βαρυάλγητα 152 βαρυάλγητ’ 153
mvp-comment-136-3 ἕστακεν 154
mvp-comment-137-1 vαὸς ἀρωγοὶ 155
mvp-comment-138-1 γενεᾶς 156
mvp-comment-138-2 χθονίων ἀπ’ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν 157
mvp-comment-138-3
Erechtheus,
ὁ γηγενής (
Her. 8. 55
), ‘whom Earth, the grain-giver, brought forth, and Athena, daughter of Zeus, fostered’ (
Il. 2. 547
), is representative of the Athenian claim to be
αὐτόχθονες. It was in his reign, acc. to
Her. 8. 44
, that the folk once called
Κραναοί, and then
Κεκροπίδαι, were first named
Ἀθηναῖοι. For
Ἐρεχθεῖδαι as=
Ἀθηναῖοι, cp.
Pind.
I. 2. 19
κλειναῖς Ἐρεχθειδᾶν χαρίτεσσιν ἀραρὼς | ταῖς λιπαραῖς ἐν Ἀθάναις, ‘having attained to the glorious honours given by the Erechtheidae in shining Athens.’ (In
Soph.
Ant. 981
f., however, the patronymic has a narrower sense, denoting merely the family of Erechtheus.) So, again, the Athenians are
Θησεῖδαι (
Soph.
O. C. 1066
), the Thebans
Καδμεῖοι, the Trojans or Romans
Aeneadae; and an unknown poet (frag. adesp. 274) calls the Argives
χθονίους Ἰναχίδας, where Hesychius explains the adj. by
αὐτόχθονας καὶ οὐκ ἐπήλυδας,— the sense of
χθονίων
158
mvp-comment-138-4 Salamis is in this play a kingdom independent of Athens, but the Salaminians are of Athenian stock, and revere ‘sacred Athens’ (1222) as the metropolis of their race. See Introduction, § 4.
mvp-comment-139-1 τηλόθεν 159
mvp-comment-140-1 ὠμοκρατὴς 160
mvp-comment-141-1 θολερῷ 161 χειμῶνι 162
mvp-comment-141-2 νοσήσας 163
mvp-comment-142-1 τί δὲ βάρος ἐνήλλακται νὺξ ἥδε τῆς ἡμερίας 164 ἐνήλλακται 165
mvp-comment-142-2 No tolerable emendation has been made. ἠρεμίας 166 εὐμαρίας 167 ἀμμορίας 168 νὺξ ἥδε 169
mvp-comment-142-3
The schol. in L has:
γρ. δὲ ἀημερίας ἀντὶ τῆς ἀηδοῦς φορᾶς (‘unpleasant course’),
καὶ ἔσται ὁ νοῦς, ποῖον βάρος ἔλαβεν αὕτη ἡ νὺξ ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας ἀηδίας; This explanation of
ἀημερίας by
ἀηδοῦς φορᾶς and
ἀηδίας indicates (I think) a reference, not to
ἡμέρα—as if
ἀημερία could mean
δυσημερία—but to
ἥμερος: the original scholium may have had
ἀνημερίας (meant as ‘unkindly fortune’).
mvp-comment-143-1 Φρυγίου Τελεύταντος 170
mvp-comment-143-2 Lobeck remarks that the father of Tecmessa is called Teuthras by Malela and others, Tethras by Cedrenus, and Teuthas by Tzetzes.
mvp-comment-144-1 λέχος 171
mvp-comment-144-2 σε … στέρξας ἀνέχει 172
mvp-comment-145-1 ὑπείποις 173
mvp-comment-146-1 λέγω 174
mvp-comment-146-2 θανάτῳ … ἴσον 175
mvp-comment-147-1 μανίᾳ γὰρ 176 ἡμὶν 177
mvp-comment-147-2 νύκτερος 178
mvp-comment-147-3 ἀπελωβήθη 179
mvp-comment-148-1 τοιαῦτ’ 180 αἱμοβαφῆ 181
mvp-comment-148-2 χρηστήρια 182
mvp-comment-149-1 A strophe, to which vv. 245—256 form the antistrophe. For the metres, see Metrical Analysis.
mvp-comment-149-2 ἀνέρος … ἀγγελίαν 183
mvp-comment-149-3 αἴθονος 184
mvp-comment-149-4 The v.l. αἴθοπος 185 ο 186
mvp-comment-149-5 ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν 187
mvp-comment-150-1 τῶν μεγάλων Δαναῶν 188
mvp-comment-150-2 κλῃζομέναν 189
mvp-comment-151-1 ὁ μέγας μῦθος 190
mvp-comment-151-2 ἀέξει 191
mvp-comment-152-1 περίφαντος 192
mvp-comment-153-1 παραπλάκτῳ 193
mvp-comment-153-2 συγκατακτὰς 194 κελαινοῖς 195
mvp-comment-154-1 ξίφεσιν 196
mvp-comment-154-2 ἱππονώμας 197 βοτῆρας 198 βοτά 199 ἱππονόμους 200
mvp-comment-155-1 ἄρα 201
mvp-comment-155-2 ἤλυθε 202
mvp-comment-156-1 ὧν 203 ποίμνην 204 τὴν μὲν 205 τὰ δὲ 206
mvp-comment-156-2 ἔσω 207 ἔσω σφάζε 208
mvp-comment-156-3 ἐπὶ γαίας 209
mvp-comment-156-4 πλευροκοπῶν 210
mvp-comment-157-1 ἀργίποδας 211
mvp-comment-157-2
If the two rams are the two Atreidae, then Odysseus is ignored here. This would be consistent both with vv. 97— 110 and with 298—306. The flogging of the second ram here would correspond with the words
τοὺς δὲ δεσμίους | ᾐκίζεθ’ in 299 f. Then came the colloquy of Ajax with Athena (301); after which, he slowly regained his sanity,—before he had inflicted the lash upon Odysseus. That the ‘two rams’ are here the royal
brethren might be suggested by the analogy of the two eagles in
Ag. 115.
On the other hand, the special ferocity with which Ajax treats the second ram rather indicates that it represents Odysseus. There would be no point in so distinguishing Menelaüs from Agamemnon. On the whole, it seems most probable that the poet meant Agamemnon and Odysseus, but was careless of strict consistency with vv. 97—110.
mvp-comment-158-1 κεφαλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν ἄκραν 212
mvp-comment-159-1 ῥιπτεῖ 213
mvp-comment-159-2 ὀρθὸν ἄνω … δήσας 214
mvp-comment-159-3 κίονι 215
mvp-comment-160-1 ἱπποδέτην ῥυτῆρα 216
mvp-comment-161-1 λιγυρᾷ 217
mvp-comment-162-1 κακὰ δεννάζων ῥήμαθ’ 218
mvp-comment-162-2 δαίμων 219
mvp-comment-163-1 ἤδη τοι κρᾶτα 220 ἀνδρὸς 221 ἀνέρος 222 τοι 223 κρᾶτα 224 κάρα 225 ἐδήλωσας 226 ἔδειξας 227 ἔφηνας 228 ἐδήλους 229 τοι 230 ἤτοι 231
mvp-comment-163-2 κρᾶτα … κρυψάμενον 232
mvp-comment-163-3 ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι 233 κλοπὰν 234
mvp-comment-164-1 θοὸν 235 εἰρεσίας 236 ζυγὸν 237
mvp-comment-164-2 ναῒ μεθεῖναι 238
mvp-comment-165-1 τοίας 239
mvp-comment-165-2 ἐρέσσουσιν 240
mvp-comment-165-3 δικρατεῖς Ἀτρεῖδαι 241
mvp-comment-166-1 πεφόβημαι 242
mvp-comment-166-2 λιθόλευστον Ἄρη 243
mvp-comment-166-3 The accus. is, in the first place, object to πεφόβημαι 244 ξυναλγεῖν 245 τυπείς 246
mvp-comment-166-4 αἶσ’ ἄπλατος 247
mvp-comment-167-1 The words λαμπρᾶς ἄτερ στεροπῆς 248 λήγει 249 ᾄξας 250
mvp-comment-168-1 οἰκεῖα πάθη 251
mvp-comment-168-2 παραπράξαντος 252
mvp-comment-168-3 ὑποτείνει 253
mvp-comment-169-1 πέπαυται 254 εὐτυχεῖν 255
mvp-comment-169-2 φρούδου γὰρ 256 λόγος 257
mvp-comment-170-1 πότερα 258
mvp-comment-171-1 The words κοινὸς ἐν κοινοῖσι 259
mvp-comment-172-1 τὸ … διπλάζον 260
mvp-comment-173-1 Though οὐ νοσοῦντος 261 οὐ νοσοῦντες 262
mvp-comment-173-2 ἀτώμεσθα 263
mvp-comment-174-1 πῶς … ὅπως 264
mvp-comment-175-1 οἷσιν εἴχετ’ ἐν κακοῖς 265
mvp-comment-175-2 φρονοῦντας 266 βλέποντας 267 κακοῖς 268
mvp-comment-176-1 κἀνέπνευσε 269 ἔληξε 270
mvp-comment-177-1 Instead of κεῖνος 271
mvp-comment-177-2 πᾶς 272
mvp-comment-177-3 ἐλήλαται 273
mvp-comment-178-1 ἆῤ 274
mvp-comment-178-2 δὶς τός’ 275 ἐξ ἁπλῶν 276
mvp-comment-179-1 δέδοικα μὴ … ἥκῃ 277 ἥκει 278 ἥκῃ 279 ἥκοι 280
mvp-comment-179-2 πῶς γάρ 281
mvp-comment-179-3 εἰ πεπαυμένος 282
mvp-comment-179-4 μηδέν τι 283
mvp-comment-180-1 ὡς ὧδ’ ἐχόντων 284
mvp-comment-181-1 τίς γάρ 285
mvp-comment-181-2 προσέπτατο 286
mvp-comment-181-3
From the Homeric
ἔπτατο (
Il. 13. 592
, etc.) Tragedy borrows this non-thematic aor. (of which the active form would be
ἔπτην):
cp. 693
. The aor. of
πέτομαι in Attic Comedy and prose is usu.
ἐπτόμην (see Veitch,
Irreg. Verbs, 2nd ed., p. 530): and of this we have the inf.
πτέσθαι in
O. T. 17
,—again in accord with Homeric precedent (
Il. 4. 126
ἐπιπτέσθαι ).
mvp-comment-181-4 τύχας 287 δήλωσον 288 τύχαις 289 ξυναλγοῦσιν 290
mvp-comment-182-1 κεῖνος γὰρ 291
mvp-comment-182-2 ἄκρας νυκτός 292
mvp-comment-183-1 λαμπτῆρες 293
mvp-comment-183-2
For this mode of indicating the time, cp.
Her. 7. 215
περὶ λύχνων ἁφάς:
Propert. 3. 8. 1
ad extremas..lucernas :
Aul. Gellius 3. 2
post primam facem.
mvp-comment-184-1 ἔγχος 294
mvp-comment-184-2 ἐξόδους ἕρπειν 295
mvp-comment-184-3 κενάς 296
mvp-comment-185-1 The general word, ἄκλητος 297 οὔτε 298
mvp-comment-185-2 ἀφορμᾷς 299 πεῖραν 300
mvp-comment-185-3 σάλπιγγος 301
mvp-comment-185-4 πᾶς εὕδει στρατός 302
mvp-comment-186-1 ὑμνούμενα 303
mvp-comment-186-2 γυναιξὶ 304
mvp-comment-186-3 κόσμον 305
mvp-comment-187-1 μαθοῦς’ 306
mvp-comment-187-2 ἐσσύθη 307
mvp-comment-188-1 τὰς ἐκεῖ … πάθας 308 τύχας 309
mvp-comment-189-1 κύνας βοτῆρας 310
mvp-comment-189-2 εὔερον 311 εύκερων 312
mvp-comment-190-1 ηὐχένιζε 313
mvp-comment-190-2 ἄνω τρέπων 314
mvp-comment-190-3 ἔσφαζε 315
mvp-comment-190-4 κἀρράχιζε 316
mvp-comment-190-5 δεσμίους 317
mvp-comment-190-6 ὥστε 318
mvp-comment-190-7 φῶτας 319
mvp-comment-191-1 ὑπᾴξας 320 ἀπᾴξας 321 ἐπᾴξας 322
mvp-comment-191-2 σκιᾷ τινὶ 323
mvp-comment-191-3 λόγους ἀνέσπα 324
mvp-comment-191-4 Ἀτρειδῶν κάτα 325
mvp-comment-192-1 ἀμφ’ Ὀδυσσεῖ 326
mvp-comment-192-2 συντιθεὶς γέλων πολύν 327
mvp-comment-192-3 γέλων 328 τ 329
mvp-comment-193-1 ὕβριν 330
mvp-comment-193-2 ἐκτείσαιτο 331 ἐκτείσοιτο 332 αὐτῶν 333
mvp-comment-193-3 ἰών 334
mvp-comment-194-1 ἐπᾴξας 335 ἀπᾴξας 336
mvp-comment-194-2 αὖθις … πάλιν 337
mvp-comment-195-1 μόλις πως 338
mvp-comment-196-1 ἄτης 339
mvp-comment-197-1 )θώϋξεν 340
mvp-comment-197-2 ἐρειπίοις 341 νεκρῶν 342 ἀρνείου φόνου 343
mvp-comment-197-3 ἐρειφθεὶς 344 ἐρεισθεὶς 345 ἐρειφθεὶς 346 ἐρειπίοις 347
mvp-comment-198-1 ἀπρὶξ … συλλαβὼν 348
mvp-comment-198-2 ὄνυξι … χερί 349
mvp-comment-199-1 καὶ τὸν μὲν ἧστο πλεῖστον 350
mvp-comment-200-1 τὰ δείν’ … ἔπη 351
mvp-comment-201-1 φανοίην 352 ιη 353
mvp-comment-202-1 ἐν τῷ πράγματος 354
mvp-comment-203-1 The words κἀγώ, φίλοι, δείσασα 355
mvp-comment-204-1 πρὸς γὰρ κακοῦ τε 356
mvp-comment-204-2 βαρυψύχου 357
mvp-comment-204-3 ἐξηγεῖτ’ 358
mvp-comment-205-1 ἀψόφητος … κωκυμάτων 359 ὑπεστέναζε 360
mvp-comment-205-2 ὀξέων 361
mvp-comment-205-3 ταῦρος ὣς βρυχώμενος 362 βριμώμενος 363
mvp-comment-206-1 νῦν δ’ 364
mvp-comment-207-1 ἄσιτος 365
mvp-comment-207-2 σιδηροκμῆσιν 366
mvp-comment-208-1 ὥς τι δρασείων 367
mvp-comment-208-2 δρασείων 368
mvp-comment-209-1 τοιαῦτα 369 πως 370
mvp-comment-209-2 καὶ λέγει κὠδύρεται 371 ἥσυχος 372
mvp-comment-209-3
The verse is rejected by Nauck and others as though it were inconsistent with v. 325, and had been patched up from v. 383. There is no ground for this view. On the other hand, after
ἥσυχος in 325, the fear expressed in 326 would be unintelligible, if no reason were subjoined. Bergk, who joins in condemning the verse, allows that Sophocles is usually careful of logical coherence in drama (‘pflegt .. sorgfältig zu motiviren’); but suggests that
here the neglect of it might be ‘a mark of the archaic style’ (
Jahr. f. Class. Phil. 97. 378).
mvp-comment-210-1 ἐστάλην 373
mvp-comment-210-2 εἰσελθόντες 374
mvp-comment-211-1 λόγοις 375 φίλοι 376
mvp-comment-212-1 Τελεύταντος 377
mvp-comment-212-2 ἡμῖν 378 λέγεις 379
mvp-comment-212-3 διαπεφοιβάσθαι 380 κακοῖς 381
mvp-comment-213-1 ἰώ μοί μοι 382
mvp-comment-214-1 μᾶλλον 383
mvp-comment-214-2 ἢ οὐκ 384
mvp-comment-214-3 Αἴαντος, οἵαν 385 θωΰσσει 386
mvp-comment-215-1 τοῖς πάλαι νοσήμασι ξυνοῦσι 387 ξυνοῦσι 388
mvp-comment-215-2 παρών 389
mvp-comment-216-1 ἰὼ παῖ παῖ 390 Τεῦκρον καλῶ 391
mvp-comment-216-2
Prof. Campbell understands
ἰὼ παῖ παῖ as meaning Teucer, whom an elder brother might so address. Tecmessa, at least, did not so take the words.
mvp-comment-217-1 ὤμοι τάλαιν’ 392
mvp-comment-217-2 Εὐρύσακες 393
mvp-comment-217-3 ἀμφὶ σοὶ 394
mvp-comment-217-4 ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ 395
mvp-comment-218-1 Τεῦκρον 396
mvp-comment-218-2 τὸν εἰσαεὶ … χρόνον 397 λεηλατήσει 398
mvp-comment-219-1 ἀνοίγετε 399
mvp-comment-219-2 αἰδῶ … λάβοι 400
mvp-comment-219-3 κἀπ’ ἐμοὶ 401 βλέψας 402
mvp-comment-220-1 διοίγω 403
mvp-comment-220-2 πράγη 404
mvp-comment-220-3
The
ἐκκύκλημα is now pushed on through the central door. It was a small stage, but large enough to allow of Ajax being shown surrounded by some of the slaughtered animals. The word
πράγη in 347, and the language of vv. 351 ff., show that the carnage was represented. The other plays in which Soph <*>es has used the eccyclema are the
Antigone (1294, where see n.), and the
Electra (1464 f., n.).
mvp-comment-220-4
Ajax, sitting among his victims, and meditating his own destruction, was the subject of a famous picture by Timomachus of Byzantium. Philostratus (
Vit. Apoll. 2. 22 § 5) thus describes it:
τὸν Αἴαντα τὸν Τιμομάχου..ἀπεκτονότα τἀν τῇ Τροίᾳ βουκόλια καθῆσθαι ἀπειρηκότα [cp. v. 325
ἥσυχος θακεῖ],
βουλὴν ποιούμενον καὶ
ἑαυτὸν διαφθεῖραι. The picture was at Cyzicus in 70 B.C. (
Cic.
In Verr. 2. 4. 60
), but was afterwards bought by Julius Caesar for the Temple of Venus Genetrix in Rome (
N. H. 7. 38 § 126). See Introduction § 20.
mvp-comment-221-1 This kommos serves, like the last (201—262), as a lyric expression of tragic pathos; after which the situation is further developed, as in the former case, by iambic dialogue. But in one respect this kommos differs from its predecessor. In order to bring the mind of Ajax into fuller relief, the lyrics are given to him alone, while the Chorus and Tecmessa speak only trimeters.
mvp-comment-221-2 The structure is as follows:—1st strophe 348—355=1st antistr. 356—363: 2nd str. 364—378=2nd ant. 379—393: 3rd str. 394—411=3rd ant. 412—429. For the metres see Metrical Analysis.
mvp-comment-221-3 ἰὼ φίλοι ναυβάται 405
mvp-comment-221-4 ἐμμένοντες 406
mvp-comment-221-5 ὀρθῷ νόμῳ 407
mvp-comment-222-1 ἴδεσθέ μ’ 408
mvp-comment-222-2 κῦμα 409 ζάλης 410 φοινίας 411
mvp-comment-222-3 ἀμφίδρομον 412 κυκλεῖται 413 κυκλοῦται 414
mvp-comment-223-1 οἴμ’ 415
mvp-comment-223-2 ἀφροντίστως ἔχει 416
mvp-comment-224-1 ναΐας ἀρωγὸν τέχνας 417
mvp-comment-225-1 ἅλιον ὃς ἐπέβας 418 ἁλίαν ὃς ἐπέβας 419 ὃς ἁλίαν ἔβας 420
mvp-comment-225-2 ὃς 421 γένος 422
mvp-comment-225-3 ἐπέβας 423
mvp-comment-225-4 ἐλίσσων 424
mvp-comment-226-1 πημονὰν ἐπαρκέσοντ’ 425 ἀπαρκέσοντ’ 426
mvp-comment-226-2 The traditional reading ποιμένων 427 πημονὰν 428
mvp-comment-227-1 ἀλλά 429 με 430
mvp-comment-227-2 συνδάϊξον 431
mvp-comment-228-1 εὔφημα φώνει 432 κακὸν κακῷ διδοὺς ἄκος 433 τὸ πῆμα τῆς ἄτης 434
mvp-comment-229-1 θρασύν 435 εὐκάρδιον 436 ἄτρεστον 437
mvp-comment-230-1 ἀφόβοις 438
mvp-comment-230-2 δεινὸν χέρας 439
mvp-comment-231-1 οἴμοι γέλωτος 440
mvp-comment-232-1 δέσποτ’ 441
mvp-comment-233-1 οὐκ ἐκτός; οὐκ ἄψορρον 442 οὐκ ἐκτὸς ἄψορρον ἐκνεμεῖ πόδα 443
mvp-comment-233-2 For ἐκτὸς 444
mvp-comment-233-3 ἄψορρον 445
mvp-comment-233-4 ἐκνεμεῖ 446 ἐκνεμεῖς 447
mvp-comment-234-1 ὦ πρὸς θεῶν 448
mvp-comment-235-1 ὢ δύσμορος 449
mvp-comment-235-2 ὃς 450
mvp-comment-235-3 χερὶ μὲν μεθῆκα 451 χερὶ 452
mvp-comment-235-4 τοὺς ἀλάστορας 453
mvp-comment-235-5 κλυτοῖς 454
mvp-comment-235-6 αἰπολίοις 455
mvp-comment-235-7 ἐρεμνὸν 456
mvp-comment-235-8 αἷμ’ ἔδευσα 457
mvp-comment-236-1 ἐπ’ ἐξειργασμένοις 458
mvp-comment-236-2 οὐ γὰρ γένοιτ’ ἂν 459 ὅπως 460
mvp-comment-236-3
For the sentiment, cp.
Tr. 742
τὸ γὰρ | φανθὲν τίς ἂν δύναιτ’ ἂν ἀγένητον ποεῖν; (n.).
mvp-comment-237-1 πάνθ’ ὁρῶν 461
mvp-comment-237-2 ἁπάντων τ’ 462 τ’ 463 δ’ 464 δ’ 465
mvp-comment-237-3 κακῶν ὄργανον 466
mvp-comment-238-1 ἄλημα 467
mvp-comment-239-1 ἦ που 468
mvp-comment-239-2 ἄγεις 469
mvp-comment-240-1 ξὺν τῷ θεῷ 470
mvp-comment-240-2 ἵδοιμι 471
mvp-comment-241-1 μηδὲν· μέγ’ εἴπῃς 472
mvp-comment-242-1 προπάτωρ 473 πάτερ 474 χεροῖν 475
mvp-comment-242-2 πῶς ἂν … θάνοιμι 476
mvp-comment-243-1 δισσάρχας 477
mvp-comment-243-2 ὀλέσσας 478
mvp-comment-243-3 βασιλῆς 479
mvp-comment-243-4 θάνοιμι καὐτός 480
mvp-comment-244-1 σκότος 481 ἔρεβος 482
mvp-comment-244-2 ὡς ἐμοί 483
mvp-comment-245-1 ἕλεσθ’ ἕλεσθέ μ’ 484
mvp-comment-246-1 γένος 485 ὄνασιν 486 εἰς 487
mvp-comment-246-2 ἄξιος 488
mvp-comment-246-3 βλέπειν 489
mvp-comment-247-1 ἁ Διὸς … θεὸς 490
mvp-comment-247-2 ὀλέθριον 491 οὔλιον 492
mvp-comment-248-1 φύγῃ … μενῶ 493
mvp-comment-249-1 εἰ τὰ μὲν φθίνει 494
mvp-comment-249-2
(1) The antistrophic verses, 423—427 (
ἐξερῶ...πρόκειμαι), appear sound. The changes which have been proposed in them have all been designed to suit some emendation in 405 ff., and would have no probability if verses 423 ff. were considered simply on their own merits.
mvp-comment-249-3 (2) There is only one real discrepancy of metre between the traditional text here and that of the antistrophe; viz., that τοῖσδ’ 495 τινα 496 ὁμοῦ πέλας 497
mvp-comment-249-4
(3) If, then, we assume that the antistrophe is sound, we may conclude that the fault in the strophe lies within the words
εἰ τὰ μὲν φθίνει, φίλοι, τοῖσδ’ ὁμοῦ πέλας. A very slight change will restore the metre, viz.
τοιοῖσδ’
498
τοῖσδ’
499
τοιοῖσδ’ ὁμοῦ βοτοῖς
500
mvp-comment-249-5
(4) Whatever may have been the original
form of the words
εἰ τὰ μὲν φθίνει, φίλοι, τοῖσδ’ ὁμοῦ πέλας, it is at least highly probable that their general sense was, ‘If my old renown is perishing.’ This is suggested by the other passages where we find the same sequence of ideas,—
i.e., the thought of his past glory closely followed by that of his present disgrace; see (1) 421—427: (2) 437—456: (3) 612—621.
mvp-comment-249-6 (5) Those who believe that the antistrophic verses 423—427 are corrupt have a freer hand for emendation here; and, as will be seen in the Appendix, some of the proposed restorations have been very bold. But such remedies pass into the region of pure guess-work.
mvp-comment-250-1 προσκείμεθα 501
mvp-comment-250-2 μώραις 502 μωραῖς 503
mvp-comment-251-1 δίπαλτος 504
mvp-comment-252-1 φωνεῖν 505
mvp-comment-252-2 ἔτλη 506
mvp-comment-253-1 πόροι ἁλίρροθοι 507 πάραλα ἄντρα 508
mvp-comment-254-1 νέμος 509
mvp-comment-254-2 As I have noted in writing on the Troad elsewhere, ‘nearly all the plains and hills are more or less well-wooded. Besides the valonia oak, the elm, willow, cypress and tamarisk shrub abound. Lotus, galingale, and reeds are still plentiful, as in Homeric days, about the streams in the Trojan plain.’ ( Encyc. Brit., art. ‘Troad,’ vol. XXIII. p. 578.)
mvp-comment-255-1 πολὺν πολύν με 510
mvp-comment-255-2 δὴ 511 δαρόν 512
mvp-comment-256-1 ἀμπνοὰς ἔχοντα 513
mvp-comment-257-1 Σκαμάνδριοι … ῥοαί 514
mvp-comment-258-1 εὔφρονες Ἀργείοις 515
mvp-comment-259-1 οὐκέτ’ ἄνδρα μὴ τόνδ’ ἴδητ’ 516
mvp-comment-260-1 ἐξερῶ 517 ἐξερέω 518
mvp-comment-260-2 Join οὔτινα 519 στρατοῦ 520
mvp-comment-260-3 χθονὸς μολόντ’ ἀπὸ | Ἑλλανίδος 521
mvp-comment-260-4
This vaunt of Ajax (modified only by the half-apologetic
ἔπος ἐξερῶ μέγα) is epic in tone; thus Achilles says of himself
(
Il. 18. 105),
τοῖος ἐὼν οἷος οὔτις Αχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων: Odysseus,
(
Od. 9. 19,)
. Such a tone is better suited, indeed, to epos (in which speech is sometimes little more than audible thought) than to drama. But here, at least, as in the case of Heracles (
Tr. 1101
f.), it has the excuse of being prompted by the anguish of a sudden overthrow. (Cp. n. on
O. T. 8
, where Oedipus speaks of himself as
ὃς πᾶσι δόλοισιν
ἀνθρώποισι μέλω, καί μευ κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει
ὁ πᾶσι κλεινός.)
mvp-comment-261-1 πρόκειμαι 522 πρόκειται 523 ἄνδρα … τόνδε 524
mvp-comment-262-1 οὔτοι … οὐδ’ 525 οὐ … οὔτε 526
mvp-comment-262-2 ὅπως ἐῶ 527
mvp-comment-263-1 ἂν … ᾤεθ’ 528
mvp-comment-263-2 ἐπώνυμον 529 ξυνοίσειν 530
mvp-comment-263-3
Pindar adopts the derivation of
Αἴας from
αἰετός:
I. 5. 53
καί νιν ὄρνιχος φανέντος κέκλετ’ ἐπώνυμον εὐρυβίαν Αἴαντα. This was the popular etymology (schol.
Apoll. Rh. 1. 1289
; schol.
Theocr. 13. 37
:
Apollod. 3. 12 § 7
). But the association of
Αἴας with
αἶ αἶ appears in the legend that a hyacinth (on whose petals the letters AI were supposed to be legible, Moschus 3. 6) sprang from the blood of Ajax, as it had sprung from that of Hyacinthus:
Ov.
Met. 13. 397:
Littera communis mediis pueroque viroque | Inscripta est foliis; haec nominis (Ajax), illa querelae (the wail of Hyacinthus).
mvp-comment-263-4
So Odysseus was associated with
ὀδύσσομαι (
Od. 1. 62
τί νύ οἱ τόσον ὠδύσαο, Ζεῦ; imitated by Soph. , fr. 880): Pentheus, with
πένθος (
Eur.
Bacch. 507
): Polyneices, with
νεῖκος (
Aesch.
Th. 577
, etc.,
Soph.
Ant. 110
f.): Meleager, with
μελέα ἄγρα ( Eur. fr. 517): Sidêro with
σίδηρος ( Soph. fr. 597): and Helen is
ἐλέναυς, etc. (
Aesch.
Ag. 689
).
mvp-comment-263-5
Such play on names did not seem to the Greeks unworthy of grave poetry, because to them the omens conveyed by words (
ὀμφαί, κληδόνες) were so serious. In modern poetry, too, it has sometimes been used with tragic pathos. Thus Dante
Purg. XIII. 109
Savia non fui, avvegna che Sapía Fossi chiamata: and
Shakesp.
Rich. II. act 2 sc. 1. 73
(Gaunt)
O how that name befits my composition! | Old Gaunt indeed; and gaunt in being old etc. The king asks,
Can sick men play so nicely with their names? No, is the reply,
misery makes sport to mock itself.
mvp-comment-263-6
The real etymology of
Αἴας is uncertain. Vase-inscriptions show that the original form was
Αἴvας, and Sonne (in Kuhn's
Zeitschr. 10 p. 126) compares Indog.
aiva, Skr.
eva (‘course’)—a derivation which Brugmann approves (
Stud. z. griech. u. lat. Gramm. 4. 180). The sense, ‘swift runner,’ would suit
Οἰλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας better than the son of Telamon: and it is not improbable (as Fleischer suggests in Roscher's
Lex.p. 139) that the names of the two heroes, though identical in form, were of distinct origin.
mvp-comment-264-1 καὶ δὶς … καὶ τρίς 531
mvp-comment-264-2 τοιούτοις γὰρ 532
mvp-comment-265-1 πατὴρ 533
mvp-comment-265-2 τὰ πρῶτα καλλιστεἶ ἀριστεύσας 534
mvp-comment-266-1 τόπον Τροίας 535
mvp-comment-266-2 ἐπελθὼν 536
mvp-comment-267-1 ἀρκέσας 537
mvp-comment-267-2 441—
mvp-comment-268-1 τοσοῦτόν γ’ ἐξεπίστασθαι 538 εἰ ζῶν 539
mvp-comment-268-2 εἰ … κρίνειν ἔμελλε 540 οὐκ ἄν τις ἔμαρψεν 541
mvp-comment-268-3 ὅπλων τῶν ὧν πέρι 542
mvp-comment-268-4 κρίνειν … κράτος ἀριστείας 543
mvp-comment-268-5 ἔμαρψεν 544
mvp-comment-268-6 ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ 545
mvp-comment-269-1 νῦν δ’ 546
mvp-comment-269-2 παντουργῷ 547
mvp-comment-269-3 ἔπραξαν 548
mvp-comment-269-4 ἀπώσαντες 549
mvp-comment-269-5 κράτη 550
mvp-comment-270-1 τόδ’ ὄμμα 551
mvp-comment-270-2 τῆς ἐμῆς 552
mvp-comment-270-3 οὐκ ἄν ποτε … ἐψήφισαν 553 κατ’ ἄλλου φωτὸς 554 δίκην ἐψήφισαν 555
mvp-comment-271-1 ἡ Διὸς … θεὰ 556
mvp-comment-271-2 γοργῶπις 557
mvp-comment-271-3 ἀδάματος 558
mvp-comment-272-1 ἐπεντύνον<*> 559 ἐπευθύνοντ’ 560
mvp-comment-273-1 λυσσώδη νόσον 561
mvp-comment-274-1 ἐπεγγελῶσιν 562
mvp-comment-275-1 ἐμοῦ μὲν 563
mvp-comment-275-2 βλάπτοι 564
mvp-comment-276-1 ὅστις 565
mvp-comment-276-2 μισεῖ δέ μ’ 566 πεδία 567
mvp-comment-277-1 πότερα 568
mvp-comment-277-2 ναυλόχους … ἕδρας 569
mvp-comment-277-3 μόνους τ’ Ἀτρείδας 570
mvp-comment-278-1 καὶ ποῖον 571
mvp-comment-278-2 ὄμμα 572
mvp-comment-279-1 γυμνὸν 573
mvp-comment-279-2 ὧν … εὐκλείας στέφανον 574
mvp-comment-280-1 ἀλλὰ δῆτ’ 575
mvp-comment-280-2 ἔρυμα 576
mvp-comment-280-3 μόνος μόνοις 577 μόνοις 578
mvp-comment-280-4 δρῶν τι χρηστόν 579
mvp-comment-281-1 Ἀτρείδας … εὐφράναιμί που 580
mvp-comment-282-1 οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα 581
mvp-comment-283-1 δηλώσω … γεγώς 582
mvp-comment-283-2 μή τοι φύσιν γ’ 583 τοι 584 γε 585 οὔ τοι 586 μή τοι 587
mvp-comment-283-3 ἄσπλαγχνος 588
mvp-comment-284-1 τοῦ μακροῦ … βίου 589
mvp-comment-284-2 κακοῖσιν … μηδὲν ἐξαλλάσσεται 590 μηδὲν 591
mvp-comment-285-1 παρ’ ἦμαρ ἡμέρα 592 προσθεῖσα 593
mvp-comment-285-2 προσθεῖσα 594
mvp-comment-285-3 κἀναθεῖσα 595
mvp-comment-286-1 πριαίμην 596
mvp-comment-286-2 λόγου 597
mvp-comment-287-1 τεθνηκέναι 598
mvp-comment-287-2 πάντ’ ἀκήκοας λόγον 599
mvp-comment-288-1 ὑπόβλητον 600
mvp-comment-289-1 γε μέντοι 601 κρατῆσαι 602
mvp-comment-290-1 τῆς ἀναγκαίας τύχης 603
mvp-comment-291-1 εἴπερ τινὸς σθένοντος 604
mvp-comment-291-2 ἐν πλούτῳ 605
mvp-comment-292-1 θεοῖς 606
mvp-comment-292-2 μάλιστα 607
mvp-comment-293-1 τοιγαροῦν 608
mvp-comment-293-2 τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον 609
mvp-comment-293-3 τὰ σά 610
mvp-comment-294-1 ἐφεστίου Διὸς 611
mvp-comment-295-1 συνηλλάχθης 612
mvp-comment-296-1 βάξιν λαβεῖν … ὑπ’ ἐχθρῶν 613
mvp-comment-296-2 χειρίαν 614
mvp-comment-296-3 ἐφεὶς 615
mvp-comment-297-1 ᾗ γὰρ θάνῃς σὺ 616 ᾗ 617 εἰ 618
mvp-comment-297-2 ἀφῇς 619
mvp-comment-298-1 ξυναρπασθεῖσαν 620 δουλίαν 621 δούλιν 622
mvp-comment-298-2 τροφή 623
mvp-comment-299-1 καί τις 624
mvp-comment-299-2 πικρὸν πρόσφθεγμα … ἐρεῖ 625 πικρὸν 626
mvp-comment-299-3 λόγοις ἰάπτων 627 λόγοις 628 ἰάπτων 629
mvp-comment-300-1 ἵσχυσε 630
mvp-comment-300-2 οἵας … ὅσου 631
mvp-comment-300-3 ζήλου 632
mvp-comment-300-4 τρέφει 633
mvp-comment-301-1 κἀμὲ μὲν 634 σοὶ δ’ αἰσχρὰ 635 ἐλᾷ 636
mvp-comment-301-2 αἰσχρὰ 637
mvp-comment-302-1 αἴδεσαι … προλείπων 638 προλείπων 639
mvp-comment-302-2 κληροῦχον 640
mvp-comment-302-3 ἀρᾶται 641
mvp-comment-303-1 οἴκτιρε 642 εἰ 643
mvp-comment-303-2 διοίσεται 644 σοῦ … μόνος 645
mvp-comment-304-1 ὑπ’ ὀρφανιστῶν 646
mvp-comment-304-2
The word
ὀρφανιστής (found only here) =
ἐπίτροπος, ‘guardian.’ Eustathius (p. 533. 30), on
Il. 5. 158
χηρωσταὶ δὲ διὰ κτῆσιν δατέοντο, explains
χηρωσταί as those who administered the property of persons who left no direct heirs (
τοὺς χηρεύοντας διαδόχων); adding,
οἵτινες κατὰ λόγον ἄλλον καὶ ὀρφανισταὶ ἐκαλοῦντο, ὡς ὀρφανῶν ὑπεριστάμενοι, καθὰ καὶ Σοφοκλῆς δηλοῖ. Apparently, then, he knew the word only from this verse. (The verb
ὀρφανίζω usu.=to make
ὀρφανός.)
mvp-comment-304-3 μὴ φίλων 647
mvp-comment-304-4
Compare Andromachè's description, in her lament over Hector, of the lot in store for her child,
ἦμαρ δ’ ὀρφανικὸν παναφήλικα παῖδα τίθησιν, ‘the day of orphanhood makes a child companionless,’ etc.:
Il. 22. 490
—498.
mvp-comment-305-1 βλέπω 648
mvp-comment-305-2 ᾔστωσας 649
mvp-comment-305-3 δορί 650 δόρει 651
mvp-comment-306-1 ἄλλη μοῖρα 652
mvp-comment-307-1 καθεῖλεν … οἰκήτορας 653 Ἅιδου, θανασίμους 654
mvp-comment-308-1 πατρίς 655
mvp-comment-308-2 ἐν σοὶ … σῴζομαι 656 πᾶς’ 657
mvp-comment-309-1 κἀμοῦ 658
mvp-comment-309-2 προσεῖναι 659
mvp-comment-309-3 τερπνὸν εἴ τί που πάθοι 660
mvp-comment-310-1 χάρις χάριν γάρ 661
mvp-comment-310-2 τίκτους’ 662
mvp-comment-311-1 ἀπορρεῖ 663
mvp-comment-311-2 γένοιτ’ 664
mvp-comment-312-1 ἔχειν σ’ ἂν … θέλοιμ’ ἄν 665
mvp-comment-312-2 ὡς κἀγὼ 666
mvp-comment-313-1 καὶ κάρτ’ 667
mvp-comment-313-2 τὸ ταχθὲν 668
mvp-comment-313-3 τολμᾷ 669
mvp-comment-313-4
For the alliteration (
παρήχησις)
cp. 1112
:
O.T. 371
τυφλὸς τά τ’ ὦτα τόν τε νοῦν τά τ’ ὄμματ’ εἶ (n.).
mvp-comment-314-1 ἀλλ’ 670
mvp-comment-315-1 ὡς ἴδω 671
mvp-comment-316-1 καὶ μὴν φόβοισί γ’ 672 γε 673 φόβοισι 674 καὶ μήν … γε 675 γε 676
mvp-comment-316-2 φόβοισι 677
mvp-comment-316-3 ἐξελυσάμην 678
mvp-comment-316-4 The conjecture ἐξερρυσάμην 679
mvp-comment-317-1 κακοῖσιν 680
mvp-comment-318-1 μὴ σοί γε 681 σοί 682
mvp-comment-319-1 πρέπον γέ τἂν ἦν 683
mvp-comment-319-2 δαίμονος 684
mvp-comment-320-1 ἀλλ’ οὖν 685 γε 686
mvp-comment-320-2 )φύλαξα 687
mvp-comment-320-3 ἀρκέσαι 688
mvp-comment-321-1 ἐπῄνες’ 689
mvp-comment-321-2 ἔθου 690
mvp-comment-322-1 ὡς ἐκ τῶνδ’ 691 ἐκτῶνδε 692 ὡς 693
mvp-comment-323-1 καὶ μὴν 694
mvp-comment-323-2 γε 695 πέλας. 696
mvp-comment-323-3 προσπόλοις 697
mvp-comment-324-1 μὴ οὐ 698 τί μέλλει 699
mvp-comment-324-2 παρουσίαν ἔχειν 700
mvp-comment-325-1 εὐθύνων 701
mvp-comment-326-1 ἕρποντι φωνεῖς 702
mvp-comment-326-2 λελειμμένῳλόγων 703
mvp-comment-327-1 καὶ δὴ 704
mvp-comment-328-1 αἶρε δεῦρο 705
mvp-comment-328-2 ταρβήσει γὰρ οὒ 706
mvp-comment-329-1 νεοσφαγῆ … φόνον 707 που 708 τοῦ 709 τοῦτόν γε 710 του 711
mvp-comment-330-1 δικαίως 712
mvp-comment-330-2 τὰ πατρόθεν 713
mvp-comment-331-1 ὠμοῖς … ἐν νόμοις 714
mvp-comment-331-2 πωλοδαμνεῖν 715
mvp-comment-331-3 κἀξομοιοῦσθαι 716 φύσιν 717
mvp-comment-332-1 ὦ παῖ 718
mvp-comment-332-2 τὰ δ’ ἄλλ’ ὅμοιος 719
mvp-comment-333-1 καίτοι … καὶ νῦν 720
mvp-comment-333-2 σε 721 σὲ 722
mvp-comment-333-3 τοῦτό γε 723
mvp-comment-333-4 οὐδὲν 724 ἐπαισθάνει 725
mvp-comment-334-1 ἐν τῷ φρονεῖν μηδὲν 726
mvp-comment-334-2 554 b [ τὸ μὴ φρονεῖν γὰρ 727
mvp-comment-335-1 ἕως 728
mvp-comment-336-1 ἵκῃ πρὸς τοῦτο 729
mvp-comment-336-2 δεῖ σ’ ὅπως … δείξεις 730
mvp-comment-337-1 τέως 731
mvp-comment-337-2 κούφοις πνεύμασιν 732
mvp-comment-337-3 νέαν ψυχὴν ἀτάλλων 733
mvp-comment-337-4
The word
ἀτάλλω may have been suggested to Sophocles by a trait in the scene between Hector and Andromachè:
Il. 6. 400
παῖδ’ ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχουσ’ ἀταλάφρονα, νήπιον αὔτως.
mvp-comment-337-5 χαρμονήν 734 χαρμονή 735
mvp-comment-337-6 560 It is strange that exception should have been taken to the parenthetic οἶδα 736
mvp-comment-337-7 οὔτοι … μή 737
mvp-comment-338-1 τοῖον 738
mvp-comment-338-2 πυλωρὸν 739
mvp-comment-339-1 τροφῆς ἄοκνον 740
mvp-comment-339-2 ἔμπα 741 κεἰ 742
mvp-comment-340-1 τηλωπὸς 743
mvp-comment-340-2 οἰχνεῖ 744
mvp-comment-340-3 θήραν ἔχων 745
mvp-comment-341-1 ἀσπιστῆρες 746
mvp-comment-341-2 χάριν 747
mvp-comment-342-1 ὅπως … δείξει 748
mvp-comment-342-2 Ἐριβοίᾳ λέγω 749
mvp-comment-343-1 μέχρις οὗ 750
mvp-comment-344-1 μήτ’ … θήσους’ 751
mvp-comment-344-2 ἀγωνάρχαι 752
mvp-comment-344-3 μήθ’ ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμός 753
mvp-comment-344-4
No correction is very probable. We cannot read
μήθ’ ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμοῦ, since, though
μου can represent the possessive pron., such a use of
ἐμοῦ would be unexampled. (See Krüger,
Gr. Sprachlehre, § 47. 9. 13.) The dat.
ἐμοί is also untenable. It is possible that the poet wrote
μήτε λυμεὼν ἐμός
754
mvp-comment-345-1 αὐτό 755
mvp-comment-345-2 ἐπώνυμον 756
mvp-comment-346-1 πολυρράφου … πόρπακος 757
mvp-comment-346-2
But a loop at the edge of the shield, such as the
πόρπαξ offered to the warrior's
hand (
Helen. 1376
ἐμβαλὼν πόρπακι γενναίαν χέρα), would not suffice to give him control. Hence, in the vasepainting noticed above, we see the
πόρπαξ combined with another contrivance, viz., a
band (of metal, or wood), placed vertically across the inside of the shield, and furnished at the middle with an arrangement of small bars, forming a support for the arm just below the elbow. This band was the
ὄχανον or
ὀχάνη.—See Appendix.
mvp-comment-346-3 πολυρράφου 758
mvp-comment-346-4 ἑπτάβοιον 759
mvp-comment-347-1 τεθάψεται 760
mvp-comment-347-2
κοίν’ ἐμοὶ· κοινὰ is here adv.: cp.
Ant. 546
μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά.
mvp-comment-348-1 πάκτου 761
mvp-comment-348-2 ἐπισκήνους 762
mvp-comment-348-3 φιλοίκτιστον 763
mvp-comment-349-1 πύκαζε 764
mvp-comment-349-2 οὐ πρὸς ἰατροῦ 765
mvp-comment-349-3 θρηνεῖν ἐπῳδὰς 766
mvp-comment-349-4 τομῶντι 767
mvp-comment-350-1 προθυμίαν 768
mvp-comment-350-2 ἀρέσκει 769
mvp-comment-350-3 τεθηγμένη 770
mvp-comment-351-1 δρασείεις 771
mvp-comment-351-2 φρενί 772
mvp-comment-352-1 κρῖνε 773
mvp-comment-353-1 οἴμ’ ὡς 774
mvp-comment-353-2 μὴ προδοὺς γένῃ 775
mvp-comment-354-1 ἄγαν γε λυπεῖς 776
mvp-comment-354-2 ἀρκεῖν 777
mvp-comment-354-3 ὀφειλέτης 778
mvp-comment-355-1 εὔφημα φώνει 779
mvp-comment-355-2 τοῖς ἀκούουσιν λέγε 780
mvp-comment-355-3
The division of the verse between two speakers (
ἀντιλαβή) is here used for the first time in the play, to mark the tension of feeling.
mvp-comment-356-1 ξυνέρξεθ’ 781
mvp-comment-357-1 ἄρτι 782
mvp-comment-357-2
Ajax is now withdrawn into the tent on the eccyclema (
εἰσκυκλεῖται), and the entrance is closed. Tecmessa and her child retire by another door into the part of the dwelling which is supposed to represent the
γυναικών. They re-enter after the Choral ode, and are present while Ajax speaks (see 684 ff.). Some, indeed, suppose that they remain on the scene during the ode; but the command of Ajax to Tecmessa in 579 f.,
μηδ’ ἐπισκήνους γόους | δάκρυε, is against this.
mvp-comment-357-3 Welcker thinks that not only Tecmessa (with the child), but Ajax also, remain present during the ode. ( Rhein. Mus. for 1829, part 3, p. 87.) It is clear, however, from v. 593 that Ajax withdraws into the tent.
mvp-comment-358-1 ναίεις 783
mvp-comment-358-2 ἁλίπλακτος 784
mvp-comment-358-3 πᾶσιν περίφαντος ἀεί 785
mvp-comment-359-1 παλαιὸς ἀφ’ οὗ χρόνος 786
mvp-comment-359-2 601—
mvp-comment-360-1 Ἰδαῖα 787
mvp-comment-360-2
1. The metre (logaoedic) is clear: no suspicion rests on the antistrophic verses, 613—615
κρατοῦντ’ ... ηὕρηται. Metre proves, then, that (
a) instead of L's
ἰδαία, we require
--u, which is given by
Ἰδαῖα. (
b) Instead of
λειμωνίᾳ ποίᾳ we require
--uu-u, which is satisfied by
λειμώνἰ ἔπαυλα. (
c) Instead of
εὐνόμᾳ, we require
---.
mvp-comment-360-3 2. εὐνῶμαι 788 μίμνων 789
mvp-comment-360-4 3. μηνῶν 790 μηνῶν ἀνήριθμος 791
mvp-comment-360-5
What remains doubtful, then, is only how we should correct the words,
ἰδαῖα... λειμωνίᾳ ποίᾳ. Now, in favour of
Ἰδαῖα.. λειμώνἰ
ἔπαυλα, let it be noted that, if
ἔπαυλα was the genuine word, then the corruption of
μηνῶν into
μήλων
792
mvp-comment-360-6
The construction then is,
εὐνῶμαι Ἰδαῖα λειμώνια ἔπαυλα, ‘I am encamped in quarters on the fields of Ida,’
μηνῶν ἀνήριθμος, ‘through countless months.’ For the acc. with
εὐνῶμαι, cp. such phrases as
ζυγὸν ἕζομαι (249 n.),
κεῖμαι τόπον (
Ph. 144
f.). For
εὐνῶμαι with ref. to camping, cp.
Il. 10. 408
Τρώων φυλακαί τε καὶ εὐναί:
Aesch.
Ag. 559
εὐναὶ γὰρ ἦσαν δαΐων πρὸς τείχεσιν· | ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δὲ κἀπὸ γῆς λειμώνιαι | δρόσοι κατεψάκαζον—a passage which Sophocles may have had in mind.
mvp-comment-360-7 For other views of the passage, and other emendations, see Appendix.
mvp-comment-361-1 χρόνῳ 793
mvp-comment-362-1 ἐλπίδ’ 794 κακάν 795
mvp-comment-363-1 ἔτι 796
mvp-comment-363-2 με 797 ἀνύσειν … Ἅιδαν 798
mvp-comment-363-3 τὸν ἀπότροπον 799
mvp-comment-363-4 ἀΐδηλον Ἅιδαν 800
mvp-comment-364-1 ἔφεδρος 801
mvp-comment-364-2
Prof. Campbell pronounces this interpretation ‘untenable,’ and renders
ἔφεδρος ‘fixed at my side,’ because ‘Ajax had remained sitting throughout the previous scene,’ and had now apparently relapsed into sullen inaction within his tent.
mvp-comment-365-1 θείᾳ 802
mvp-comment-366-1 ἐξεπέμψω … θουρίῳ 803
mvp-comment-366-2 πρὶν δή ποτε 804
mvp-comment-366-3 Ἄρει 805 α— 806
mvp-comment-367-1 φρενὸς οἰοβώτας 807
mvp-comment-368-1 ηὕρηται 808
mvp-comment-369-1 ἔργα χεροῖν … ἀρετᾶς 809
mvp-comment-370-1 ἄφιλα παρ’ ἀφίλοις 810
mvp-comment-370-2 ἄφιλα … ἔπεσε 811
mvp-comment-370-3 ἔπεσ’ ἔπεσε 812
mvp-comment-371-1 σύντροφος 813 ἔντροφος 814
mvp-comment-371-2 παλαιᾷ … ἁμέρᾳ 815
mvp-comment-371-3 λευκῷ 816 λευκὰ 817 μὲν 818 δὲ 819
mvp-comment-372-1 νοσοῦντα φρενομόρως 820
mvp-comment-373-1 αἴλινον 821
mvp-comment-373-2 ἀηδοῦς 822
mvp-comment-374-1 ὀξυτόνους 823
mvp-comment-375-1 χερόπλακτοι … δοῦποι 824
mvp-comment-376-1 ἄμυγμα 825
mvp-comment-377-1 κρείσσων … κεύθων 826
mvp-comment-377-2
Elmsley's emendation,
παῤ Ἄιδᾳ, instead of
γὰρ Ἅιδᾳ (the reading of the MSS.), is specious; for Sophocles has that phrase in
O. T. 972
and in
O. C. 1572
; but here he may have been thinking of
Il. 23. 244
εἰς ὅ κεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼν Ἄϊδι κεύθωμαι. The personal sense of Hades easily passes into the local; thus we have not only
εἰς Ἅιδου (
Tr. 4
), but
εἰς Ἀΐδαν (
El. 833
). For the simple dat., cp.
El. 174
οὐρανῷ (n.).
mvp-comment-377-3 κεύθων 827
mvp-comment-377-4 ὁ νοσῶν μάταν 828
mvp-comment-378-1 ἐκ πατρῴας ἥκων γενεᾶς ἄριστος … Ἀχαιῶν 829 ἥκων 830 ἄριστος 831 ἄριστος 832
mvp-comment-378-2
The ingenious conjecture of Burges,
ὃς
εὖ πατρῴας ἥκων γενεᾶς
ἄνωθεν, would mean, ‘fortunate (
εὖ ἥκων) in his descent (
ἄνωθεν) with regard to paternal lineage’ (the gen.
γενεᾶς as in
χρημάτων εὖ ἥκοντες,
Her. 5. 62
, etc.). But this is tame; and
εὖ ἥκων is also prosaic: nor does it account for the gen.
Ἀχαιῶν. Wecklein, reading
εὖ πατρῴας ἥκων γενεᾶς,
ἄριστα..Ἀχαιῶν, understands, ‘fortunate in his lineage, —
most so, indeed, of the Achaeans’: so that
ἄριστα defines
εὖ.
mvp-comment-378-3 πολυπόνων 833
mvp-comment-379-1 συντρόφοις ὀργαῖς 834 ἔμπεδος 835
mvp-comment-379-2 ἐκτὸς ὁμιλεῖ 836 ἐκτὸς 837 ὁμιλεῖ 838 ὁμιλεῖ 839
mvp-comment-380-1 τλᾶμον 840
mvp-comment-381-1 δύσφορον 841
mvp-comment-382-1 ἔθρεψεν 842
mvp-comment-382-2 αἰὼν 843 δίων 844
mvp-comment-383-1 ὁ μακρὸς … χρόνος 845
mvp-comment-383-2 φύει τ’ 846 φύει 847 φαίνει 848
mvp-comment-383-3 κρύπτεται 849
mvp-comment-384-1 ἄελπτον 850
mvp-comment-384-2 ἁλίσκεται 851 δεινὸς 852
mvp-comment-384-3 περισκελεῖς 853
mvp-comment-385-1 τὰ δείν’ 854 τότε 855
mvp-comment-385-2 βαφῇ σίδηρος ὥς 856
mvp-comment-385-3 ἐθηλύνθην στόμα 857 στόμα 858 βαφῇ σίδηρος ὥς 859
mvp-comment-386-1 οἰκτίρω … λιπεῖν 860
mvp-comment-387-1 πρός τε λουτρὰ 861
mvp-comment-387-2 λύμαθ’ ἁγνίσας 862
mvp-comment-387-3 ἐξαλύξωμαι 863 ἐξαλεύσωμαι 864
mvp-comment-388-1 μολών … ἔνθ’ 865
mvp-comment-388-2 κίχω 866
mvp-comment-388-3 κρύψω 867
mvp-comment-388-4 γαίας 868
mvp-comment-388-5 ἔνθα μή τις ὄψεται 869
mvp-comment-389-1 ἀλλ’ αὐτὸ 870
mvp-comment-390-1 χειρὶ 871
mvp-comment-390-2
The exchange of gifts between the two heroes is told in
Il. 7. 303
ff.: Hector gave ‘his silver-studded sword (
ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον), with scabbard and well-cut baldrick; and Ajax gave his girdle bright with purple.’
mvp-comment-390-3 ἔσχον 872
mvp-comment-391-1 ἡ βροτῶν παροιμία 873
mvp-comment-391-2 ἐχθρῶν ἄδωρα δῶρα 874
mvp-comment-392-1 τοιγὰρ 875
mvp-comment-392-2 τὸ λοιπὸν 876 εἰσόμεσθα 877 μαθησόμεσθα 878
mvp-comment-393-1 τί μήν 879 τί μήν 880 τί μή 881 τί μή 882
mvp-comment-394-1 τὰ δεινὰ 883
mvp-comment-394-2 τιμαῖς 884
mvp-comment-394-3 τοῦτο μὲν 885
mvp-comment-394-4 νιφοστιβεῖς χειμῶνες 886
mvp-comment-395-1 ἐξίσταται 887
mvp-comment-395-2 αἰανὴς 888 αἰανὴς 889 κύκλος 890
mvp-comment-395-3 τῇ λευκοπώλῳ 891 φέγγος … φλέγειν 892
mvp-comment-396-1 ἐκοίμισε 893
mvp-comment-396-2 Lobeck, though he refrains from changing δεινῶν 894 λείων 895 ἐκοίμισε 896
mvp-comment-396-3 ἐν δ’ 897
mvp-comment-397-1 γνωσόμεσθα 898
mvp-comment-398-1 ἔγωγ)· 899
mvp-comment-398-2
The vulgate
ἐγὼ
δ’ may have come from
ἡμεῖς
δὲ in 677. It requires us to suppose that the poet was going to write
ἐγὼ δ’, ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως (
τοῦτο),
τόν τ’ ἐχθρὸν ἐχθαρῶ, κ.τ.λ.,—and then changed the constr. This is awkward. On the other hand, with
ἐγὼ δ’, we could not supply
γνώσομαι.
mvp-comment-399-1 ὅ τ’ ἐχθρὸς ἡμῖν 900
mvp-comment-399-2
Arist.
Rhet. 2. 13
§ 4 (old men)
κατὰ τὴν Βίαντος ὑποθήκην καὶ φιλοῦσιν ὡς μισήσοντες καὶ μισοῦσιν ὡς φιλήσοντες. Bias , of Prienè in Ionia, one of the
ἑπτὰ σοφοί, is said to have flourished about 550 B.C. For other references to this famous maxim, see Appendix.
mvp-comment-400-1 ἔς τε τὸν φίλον 901 ὑπουργῶν 902
mvp-comment-400-2 βουλήσομαι 903
mvp-comment-401-1 τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ 904
mvp-comment-401-2 ἑταιρείας 905 ἑταιρίας 906
mvp-comment-402-1 ἀμφὶ … τούτοισιν 907 διὰ τάχους 908
mvp-comment-403-1 ταὐτὰ τῇδε 909
mvp-comment-403-2 τάδε τιμᾶτε 910
mvp-comment-404-1 μέλειν 911
mvp-comment-405-1 ἐκεῖς’ 912 κεῖς’ 913
mvp-comment-406-1 τάχ’ ἄν … ἴσως 914 σεσωσμένον 915
mvp-comment-407-1 ἔφριξ’ 916 ἔρωτι 917
mvp-comment-407-2 ἀνεπτάμαν 918
mvp-comment-407-3
694 ff. Pan was a domestic deity to Salaminians, since one of his reputed haunts was the islet of Psyttaleia, lying between
Κυνόσουρα, a tongue of land on the E. side of Salamis, and the Peiraeus. Aesch. mentions it (
Aesch.
Pers. 448
f.):
βαιά, δύσορμος ναυσίν, ἣν ὁ φιλόχορος | Πὰν ἐμβατεύει, ποντίας ἀκτῆς ἔπι.
mvp-comment-407-4 ἁλίπλαγκτε 919
mvp-comment-407-5 Κυλλανίας … δειράδος 920
mvp-comment-407-6 χιονοκτύπου 921
mvp-comment-408-1 θεῶν χοροποἴ ἄναξ 922
mvp-comment-408-2 Νύσια 923
mvp-comment-408-3 Κνώσια 924
mvp-comment-408-4 αὐτοδαῆ 925
mvp-comment-408-5 ἰάψῃς 926
mvp-comment-409-1 χορεῦσαι 927
mvp-comment-410-1 Ἰκαρίων … πελαγέων 928
mvp-comment-410-2 πελαγέων 929 ὑπὲρ 930
mvp-comment-410-3 Ἀπόλλων 931
mvp-comment-410-4 Δάλιος 932
mvp-comment-410-5 εὔγνωστος 933 εὔγνωτος 934
mvp-comment-410-6 διὰ παντὸς 935
mvp-comment-411-1 ἔλυσεν … Ἄρης 936
mvp-comment-411-2 αἰνὸν ἄχος 937
mvp-comment-411-3 ἀπ’ ὀμμάτων 938
mvp-comment-412-1 πάρα 939
mvp-comment-412-2 λευκὸν … φάος 940 εὐάμερον φάος 941
mvp-comment-412-3 πελάσαι 942
mvp-comment-412-4 θοᾶν 943
mvp-comment-413-1 λαθίπονος 944
mvp-comment-414-1 πάνθυτα θέσμἰ ἐξήνυς’ 945 πάνθυτα 946
mvp-comment-414-2 εὐνομίᾳ 947
mvp-comment-415-1 μαραίνει 948
mvp-comment-416-1 ἀναύδατον 949
mvp-comment-417-1 ἐξ ἀέλπτων 950
mvp-comment-418-1 μετανεγνώσθη 951 μετανεγνώθη 952
mvp-comment-419-1 θυμοῦ τ’. θυμῶν 953 Ἀτρείδαις 954
mvp-comment-420-1 τὸ πρῶτον 955 τὸ πρῶτον 956
mvp-comment-421-1 Μυσίων … κρημνῶν 957
mvp-comment-421-2 στρατήγιον 958 μέσον 959
mvp-comment-422-1 κυδάζεται 960 Ἀργείοις 961
mvp-comment-423-1 στείχοντα 962 ἐν κύκλῳ 963 πρόσωθεν 964 μαθόντες 965
mvp-comment-424-1 ἤρασσον 966
mvp-comment-424-2 ἔνθεν κἄνθεν 967
mvp-comment-424-3 οὔτις ἔσθ’ ὃς οὔ 968
mvp-comment-425-1 τὸν τοῦ μανέντος 969
mvp-comment-425-2 κἀπιβουλευτοῦ στρατοῦ 970 στρατοῦ 971 στρατῷ 972
mvp-comment-425-3 ἀποκαλοῦντες 973
mvp-comment-425-4 ὡς οὐκ ἀρκέσοι τὸ μὴ οὐ … θανεῖν 974
mvp-comment-425-5 καταξανθεὶς 975
mvp-comment-426-1 ὥστ’ 976 ὥστε 977 τοσοῦτον 978
mvp-comment-426-2 κολεῶν … ξίφη 979 ἐρυστά 980 κουλεῶν 981
mvp-comment-427-1 δραμοῦσα τοῦ προσωτάτω 982
mvp-comment-427-2 ἐν ξυναλλαγῇ λόγου … γερόντων 983 ἐν 984
mvp-comment-428-1 ἡμὶν 985
mvp-comment-428-2 τοῖς κυρίοις 986
mvp-comment-429-1 νέας βουλὰς 987 νέοισιν … τρόποις 988 ἐγκαταζεύξας 989
mvp-comment-430-1 ἰοὺ ἰού 990
mvp-comment-430-2 βραδεῖαν 991 ἡμᾶς … πέμπων ὁδόν 992 )φάνην 993
mvp-comment-431-1 χρείας τῆσδ’ 994
mvp-comment-431-2 ὑπεσπανισμένον 995
mvp-comment-432-1 ἀπηύδα 996
mvp-comment-432-2 τύχῃ 997 τύχοι 998
mvp-comment-433-1 οἴχεται 999
mvp-comment-433-2 τὸ κέρδιστον 1000 τὸ κέρδιον 1001
mvp-comment-433-3 θεοῖσιν … χόλου 1002
mvp-comment-434-1 εὖ φρονῶν 1003
mvp-comment-435-1 πάρει 1004 πέρι 1005
mvp-comment-436-1 τοσοῦτον 1006 οἶδα 1007 παρὼν 1008 καὶ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον 1009
mvp-comment-437-1 συνέδρου καὶ τυρ. κύκλου 1010
mvp-comment-437-2 750 Calchas is present at this council, as he is at that in the first book of the Iliad ( Il. 1. 69 ). He knew by inspiration that, if Ajax could be kept in his tent for that one day, all would be well. Leaving the circle of the chiefs, he went to Teucer, who was awaiting the result in the neighbourhood. They sat down apart ( cp. 780 ). The messenger was near them, and heard what Calchas said to Teucer.
mvp-comment-437-3 οἶος Ἀτρειδῶν δίχα 1011
mvp-comment-438-1 φιλοφρόνως 1012
mvp-comment-439-1 παντοίᾳ τέχνῃ 1013
mvp-comment-440-1 εἶρξαι 1014
mvp-comment-440-2 ἦμαρ τοὐμφανὲς τὸ νῦν τόδε 1015
mvp-comment-441-1 ὑπὸ σκηναῖσι 1016
mvp-comment-441-2 μηδ’ ἀφέντ’ ἐᾶν 1017
mvp-comment-442-1 ἐκεῖνον 1018 Αἴαντα 1019
mvp-comment-442-2 ποτέ 1020
mvp-comment-443-1 ἐλᾷ 1021
mvp-comment-443-2 τῇδε θἡμέρᾳ 1022
mvp-comment-444-1 ὡς ἔφη λέγων 1023
mvp-comment-445-1 τὰ γὰρ περισσὰ 1024 περισσὰ κανόνητα ς<*>ματα 1025
mvp-comment-445-2 It is not without reason, then, that the reading κἀνόνητα 1026 κἀνόητα 1027 σώματα 1028
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.
183. mvp-comment-136-1 φρενόθεν] Of thine own heart;' i.e. the cause must have been from without, not from within. Ajax could not be himself ( φρενήρης) and do this thing. The gods must have destroyed his senses ( φρένας ὤλεσαν).
183-185. mvp-comment-137-1 ἐπ᾿ ἀριστερά .. ἔβας τόσσον] 'Canst thou have gone so far wrong?" Cp. the metaph. uses of σκαιός, and Plat. Soph. 264 E, where πορεύεσθαι κατὰ τοὐπὶ δεξιὰ ἀεὶ μέρος is 'to make the right selection in each case.'
185. mvp-comment-138-1 ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων] ‘As to assault the flocks.' The participle is slightly proleptic (as with πειράσθαι). Cp. Ant. 752, ἢ κἀπαπειλῶν ὧδ᾽ ἐπεξέρχει θρασύς.
186. mvp-comment-139-1 ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος] 'An affliction from the gods, indeed, may have come.' For this use of av with the optative, cp. Aesch. Pers. 706, ἀνθρώπεια δ' ἄν τοι πήματ᾿ ἂν τύχοι βροτοῖς: Ag. 1507, πατρόθεν δὲ συλλήπτωρ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἀλάστωρ. These words develop the suggestion conveyed in φρενόθεν γε, το which they are attached with γάρ. Ajax cannot have done this; at least not of his own impulse. It may be, indeed, that a divine visitation is upon him. This possibility is a further reason for rejecting the notion that Ajax is really guilty. ὀλλά] (1) 'It may have come, but Zeus grant that the report may be untrue!' Zeus and Phoebus, as the deities of divination, are implored to grant that the truth may be less terrible than it is according to the report set in motion by the Argives. Or (2) 'It may have come, but even then let not the evil be increased with false rumours spread by Argives.'
188-189. mvp-comment-140-1 'And if, suborning tales of their own making, the mighty kings win currency for them by false means.'
190. mvp-comment-141-1 ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισ. γενεᾶς] The force of the article is continued. Essay on L. § 21. p. 336. The standing reproach against Odysseus, that he was the son of Sisyphus, although not acknowledged as true by Sophocles (see l. 1), is represented as being used against him by his enemies. Cp. especially, Phil. 417, οὑμπολητὸς Σισύφου Λαερτίῳ: Fr. 143, ὡς ὁ Σίσυφος πολὺς | ἔνδηλος ἐν σοί. For Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς, where only one generation is in question, cp. Ant. 981, 2, σπέρμα Ερεχθειδᾶν, of Cleopatra the granddaughter of Erechtheus.
191. mvp-comment-142-1 μὴ μή μ', ἄναξ] For the 'Attic' accusative in general construction with what follows, as after verbs of doing good or evil, see E. on L. § 16. р. 23. 'Do not to my hurt incur reproach.' ἐφάλοις κλισίαις ὄμμ' ἔχων] (1) 'Keeping thine eye hidden within the hut by the sea.' The Epic word κλισίαις is used in the Lyric measures. We had σκηναῖς in the dialogue, supr. l. 3. The dative is one of place, as if with ev. For ὄμμα, cp. supr. 167. ἔχων · = κατέχων, 'withholding from sight.' Or (2) 'Keeping thine eye fixed upon the tents.'
194. mvp-comment-143-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἄνα ἐξ εδράνων] ‘But up from where thou sittest still.' The hiatus is excused by Hermann on the ground that ava is an interjectional abbreviation. ὅπου.. σχολᾷ] (1) 'Wheresoever thou art thus fixed in a dangerous lethargy of quarrelsome repose.' The Chorus are uncertain of Ajax' whereabouts, as Odysseus was, supr. 33. μακραίωνι implies that some time had passed since the judgment of the arms and Ajax' sullen withdrawal from the fight: cp. infr. 929 foll. ἀγωνίῳ is a difficult word. The inactivity of Ajax was his manner of contending with the chiefs: if the rumour was true, it was an inactivity in which he had been fatally active; and however his leisure was employed, it was becoming full of danger to him. The force of ἀγών, in the sense of a dangerous contest, is therefore suited to the place, and the expression is an oxymoron, 'a perilous quarrelsome rest' (for which, cp. Shak. Ant and Cleo. 1. 3, 'Tis sweating labour To bear such idleness so near the heart.") (2) Others suppose the words merely to mean 'rest from combat,' i.e. from the general combat with the Trojans.
196. mvp-comment-144-1 ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων] 'Letting mischief blaze up to the sky.' Cp. Eur. Phoen. 240, 1, αΐμα δάϊον φλέγει. The image of a fire is continued in the following lines.
197-200. mvp-comment-145-1 The arrangement of these lines is difficult. The elision of the last syllable of ὁρμᾶται and the hiatus after ἀτάρβητα and βαρυάλγητα are doubtful points. It can hardly be questioned that the a of εὐανέμοις (for εὐηνέμοις) is long. καχαζόντων is rightly restored for καγχαζόντων. Brambach, (Sophokl. Gesänge) suggesting εὐανέμοις, gives the following scheme... But the difficulties are not thus removed. Perhaps we may venture...
197. mvp-comment-146-1 ὧδ'] 'Thus,' as in supr. 141-53.
198. mvp-comment-147-1 εὐανέμοις] 'With favouring breezes.' As applied to a harbour, εὐήνεμος is 'sheltered from rough winds;' but the image here is rather that of a forest glade, where, when a little fire is kindled, the wind that is not strong enough to extinguish it only fans it to strength. Cp. I1. 20. 490, 1, ὡς δ᾽ ἀναμαιμάει βαθέ᾽ ἄγκεα θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ | οὔρεος ἀζαλέοιο, βαθεῖα δὲ καίεται ὕλη.
200. mvp-comment-148-1 ἐμοὶ .. ἕστακεν] 'I have a grief that will not be removed.'
201. mvp-comment-149-1 The exposition of the situation in the Ajax, like the ἀναγνώρισις in the Oed. Tyr., is effected through the meeting of those who on either side know only half the truth. Tecmessa, whose affection for Ajax exceeds that of his own people, comes forth to meet the chorus of mariners before the hut. They learn from her the truth of the calamity. She learns from them the extent of it. Schol. διδάσκει τὸν χόρον ὅτι Αἴας ἐστὶν ὁ σφάξας τὰ ποίμνια. πυνθάνεται δὲ παρὰ τοῦ χοροῦ ὅτι Ἑλληνικὰ ἦν τὰ σφαγέντα, ἑκάτερος οὖν παρ' ἑκατέρου τὸ ἀγνοούμενον μανθάνει.
202. mvp-comment-150-1 γενεάς, κ.τ.λ.] 'Of race derived from the Earth-born Erechtheidae.' The Salaminians are, by an anachronism which is repeated infr. 861, counted as originally one with the Athenian people.
203. mvp-comment-151-1 ἔχομεν στοναχάς] ‘It is ours to groan.' She claims the sympathy of the chorus, of which they assure her, infr. 210.
204. mvp-comment-152-1 τηλόθεν] Sc. ὄντος or σκοπουμένου. Cp. O. T. 1259, οἱ παρῆμεν ἐγγύθεν. The word is not to be immediately joined with κηδόμενοι. Salamis, which she has never seen, seems far away to Tecmessa, whose hopes are notwithstanding centred there.
205. mvp-comment-153-1 ὁ δεινὸς μέγας ὠμοκρατής] · Our dread hero, rugged in might.' Various compounds of ὠμός are used to indicate the fierce impetuosity of Ajax, that cannot be reduced to rule: infr. 885, τὸν ὠμόθυμον : 931, ὠμόφρων : 548, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτίκ᾿ ὠμοῖς αὐτὸν ἐν νόμοις πατρὸς | δεῖ πωλοδάμνειν κάξομοιοῦσθαι φύσιν. See also infr. 613, θουρίῳ | κρατοῦντ᾽ ἐν᾿ Αρει. Others would render ὠμοκρατής, 'mighty-shouldered,' comparing the description of Ajax in Il. 3. 227 as ἔξοχος ᾿Αργείων κεφαλὴν ἠδ᾽ εὐρέας ὤμους !
206. mvp-comment-154-1 θολερῷ.. χειμῶνι] 'Through a turbid storm.' The darkened mind of Ajax is compared either to the troubling of waters by a flood, or to atmospheric disturbance, as we speak of 'dirty weather.' Cp. Ant. 420, 1, ἐν δ᾽ ἐμεστώθη μέγας | αἰθήρ, μύσαντες δ᾽ εἴχομεν θείαν νόσον, and, for the metaphorical use of θολερός, Aesch. Prom. 885, 6, θολεροὶ δὲ λόγοι παίουσ' εἰκη | στυγνῆς πρὸς κύμασιν ἄτης.
207. mvp-comment-155-1 κεῖται] • Is overthrown.' Cp. Plat. Rep. 5. p. 451 Α, κείσομαι, περὶ ἃ ἥκιστα δεῖ σφάλλεσθαι. νοσήσας] ‘Having fallen into madness.' The aorist expresses the suddenness of the stroke.
208. mvp-comment-156-1 'What heavy change from the condition of the day hath last night experienced?' This is Triclinius' explanation of τῆς ἁμερίας, sc. καταστάσεως. As in the case of other feminine words used substantively, we need not be precise in supplying the ellipse. Lobeck prefers ὥρας. Ajax' condition on the previous day was lamentable enough: what new trouble has arisen during the night?
210. mvp-comment-157-1 Τελεύταντος] The first syllable is to be scanned as long : cp. Ἱππομέδων, Παρθένοπαῖος in Iambic verse. Others read Φρυγίοιο for Φρυγίου, which is questionable both as to the form of the genitive and the division of the line.
211. mvp-comment-158-1 λέχος δουριάλωτον] ' In a spear-won marriage.' λέχος cogn. acc.
212. mvp-comment-159-1 στέρξας ἀνέχει] 'Having fixed his affection on thee, remains constant to thee.' The mariners accept Tecmessa as their master's choice, although they could have wished a nobler bride for him. For ἀνέχει, see E. on L. § 52. p. 97, and cp. Eur. Hec. 123, Βάκχης ἀνέχων λέκτρ᾽ ᾿Αγαμέμνων: Alc. 304, τούτους ἀνάσχου δεσπότας ἐμῶν δόμων, where the middle voice has a similar force. For cognate uses of ἀνέχω, cp. Fr. 146, Pind. P. 2. 163.
213. mvp-comment-160-1 'So that you know, and can tell us what we want to know.' ὑπό in comp. seems here to have the force of 'supplying an answer, or supplying the word that is wanting.' Cp. ὑποκρίνομαι.
215. mvp-comment-161-1 πάθος, as the appropriate word, is preferable to βάρος, which may have slipped in in from supr. 209.
217. mvp-comment-162-1 νύκτερος] 'In the night.' Essay on L. § 23. p. 36.
218. mvp-comment-163-1 τοιαῦτ᾽ ἂν ἴδοις] For τοιοῦτος adducing proof, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 35 a.
220. mvp-comment-164-1 χρηστήρια] Either (1) simply 'victims,' or (2) with superstitious reference to the δαίμων of madness. 'Offerings demanded by his rage.'
221-232. mvp-comment-165-1 The metrical scheme (Logaoedic, with frequent syncope) is the following...
221. mvp-comment-166-1 ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος] ‘Concerning the fiery man.' Essay on L. § 9. p. 12, 2. If τοι is retained in infr. 245, we may read here οἵαν ἐδήλωσας *κατ᾿ ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος. The short syllable in αἴθονος is sufficiently supported by αΐθονα occurring in Hesychius in the right alphabetical order (immediately after αἶθον). Although αἴθοπος (see v. rr.) may be defended, on the ground that the second part of a compound has sometimes little significance (see esp. infr. 954, κελαινώπαν θυμών), yet αἴθων, which directly expresses character, is more appropriate here, and has the preponderance of MS. authority in its favour.
222. mvp-comment-167-1 ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν] ‘That can neither be avoided nor endured.'
225. mvp-comment-168-1 μεγάλων] 'Terrible.' The mariners, in their feebleness ( supr. 165 foll.), are afraid of the opinion of the host. These words are added as a comment on οὐδὲ φευκτάν. The consequences of the fact cannot be eluded, since it is known to the host, and magnified by rumour.
226. mvp-comment-169-1 ὁ μέγας μῦθος] ‘The formidable power of rumour.' Supr. 172, ὦ μεγάλα φάτις. μῦθος is the rumour about this particular thing, with a suggestion of rumour in general. ἀέξει] Not 'exaggerates,' for the evil could not be exaggerated, but, 'which the mighty power of rumour spreads abroad.'
229. mvp-comment-170-1 περίφαντος.. θανεῖται] 'He will be discovered and will die.' περίφαντος is explained by the words that follow, παραπλήκτῳ χερί, κ.τ.λ. The nature of the crime defies concealment.
231. mvp-comment-171-1 κελαινοῖς ξίφεσιν] · With darkened brand.' The plural, as in Ant. 820, ξιφέων ἐπίχειρα, denotes the action of the sword rather than the sword itself. The epithet κελαινοῖς, as in Trach. 856, κελαινὰ λόγχα, suggests the colour of a sword or spear that has been much used in battle. βοτήρας] Supr. 27, αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις. This fact is known to the mariners from the report of the army, not from Tecmessa. ἱππονώμας] Either (1) because captive horses, like those of Rhesus, were included in the spoil (this might add force to ἱππομανῆ, supr. 143), or rather (2) because the herdsmen were mounted, as might well happen where the herd was so extensive.
235. mvp-comment-172-1 ὧν τὴν μέν] Sc. ποίμναν. 'Whereof one part.' The plural ὧν is equivalent to a collective ἧς, referring to ποίμναν supr. The force of ἔσω ('in the tent') is continued to the subsequent clauses. For τὴν μέν followed by τὰ δέ, see Essay on L. § 20. p. 31.
236. mvp-comment-173-1 πλευροκοπών δίχ᾽ ἀνερρήγνυ] 'He smote beneath the ribs and ripped asunder.' The two white-footed rams are probably Agamemnon and Odysseus. Menelaus may have been imagined to be slain in combat, while the king of men was brought away in triumph to be the object of more condign vengeance. Ll. 105 foll. leave no room to doubt that the second ram is intended by Ajax for Odysseus.
237. mvp-comment-174-1 ἀνελών] · Having lifted,' i.e. by the forefeet.
238-239. mvp-comment-175-1 'He sheared off and threw away (first) the tongue-tip and (then) the head.' E. on L. § 41. p. 78 β, b. The tongue, which had pronounced the judgment, the head, which was the seat of sovereignty, are the first to suffer. For ῥιπτεῖ, cp. Hdt. 4. 61, ὁ θύσας, τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων ἀπαρξάμενος, ῥίπτει ἐς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν.
240. mvp-comment-176-1 ‘Bound up to a pillar erect.' ἄνω marks that the bonds were fastened from above, so as almost to suspend the creature from the ground.
241. mvp-comment-177-1 'With a great harness-thong.' ῥυτήρ is (1) a trace, (2) a rein, (3) any strap used in harnessing.
242. mvp-comment-178-1 'He smites him with resounding double lash ;' i.e. He holds the thong by the middle, and plies it, thus doubled, with a whizzing noise.
243. mvp-comment-179-1 ἃ δαίμων, κ.τ.λ.] i.e. The words gave evidence of superhuman passion. Ср. О. Т. 1258, 9, δαιμόνων δείκνυσί τις, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀνδρῶν.
244. mvp-comment-180-1 'Reviling him with evil language.' Cp. Ant. 759, ἐπὶ ψόγοισι δεννάσεις ἐμέ.
245. mvp-comment-181-1 κάρα is the emendation of Triclinius for κρᾶτα, which is in most MSS., generally with τοι preceding: according to Hermann this was due to a mistaken metrical emendation. Reading κάρα and retaining τοι, we might read in supr. 221, οἴαν ἐδήλωσας *κατ᾿ ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος. τιν'] ἱ.ε. ἡμᾶς. Essay on L. § 22. p. 36. κάρα καλύμμασι κρυψάμενον] 'Veiling one's head,' either (1) in token of confusion and shame as well as sorrow. Cp. Od. 8.92; Plat. Phaedr. 243 В. Or (2) by way of disguise. ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι] i. e. φυγὴν ἀρέσθαι, 'to steal away on foot.' Cp. Eur. Or. 1499, ἐκκλέπτειν πόδα: Rhes. 54, αἴρεσθαι φυγήν.
247. mvp-comment-182-1 θοὸν εἰρεσίας ζυγὸν ἑζόμενον] 'Pressing the swift rowing-bench.' Cp. Aesch. Ag. 982, θάρσος . . ἵζει φρενὸς φίλον θρόνον. And for the hypallage ( =θοᾶς εἰρεσίας ζυγόν), see Essay on L. § 42. p. 80.
250. mvp-comment-183-1 ποντοπόρῳ ναὶ μεθεῖναι] 'Let the sea-faring ship go on her way.' No definite ellipse (as of πλοῦν or πείσματα) is to be supplied with μεθεῖναι.
250. mvp-comment-183-2 ματα) need be supposed. The verb 'to let go' is first used absolutely, and then again acquires a remote object, which is put in the dative. The ship is 'a thing of life.'
251. mvp-comment-184-1 ἐρέσσουσιν] 'Launch.' Ant. 158, μῆτιν ἐρέσσω. For the unconscious tautology, εἰρεσίας .. ἐρέσσουσιν, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83, 4. The mariners think of the Atreidae as chasing them astern. The words καθ' ἡμῶν mark that their lot is bound up with that of Ajax, a thought which is developed in the succeeding lines. The accusative Ἄρη is in two constructions, first after πεφόβημαι, and then with ξυναλγεῖν, which is added in epexegesis. For Apns of destructive violence, cp. esp. Aesch. Prom. 861, 2, θηλυκτόνῳ | Ἄρει δαμέντων.
255. mvp-comment-185-1 τὸν αἰσ᾿ ἄπλατος ίσχει] 'Possessed by an all-endangering doom.' The chorus long to stand by Ajax, but are deterred by his madness. Cp. Trach. 785, κοὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα τἀνδρὸς ἀντίον μολεῖν : ib. 797, ὦ παῖ, πρόσελθε, μὴ φύγῃς τοὐμὸν κακόν, | μηδ' εἴ σε χρὴ θανόντι συνθανεῖν ἐμοί: ib. 1030, ἀποτίβατος ἀγρία νόσος.
257. mvp-comment-186-1 οὐκέτι] Sc. ἴσχει νιν ἡ μανία. 'He may be approached with safety now.' λαμπρᾶς, κ.τ.λ.] 'For he, like a Southern storm, after a sharp outburst, ceases to rage, and the lightning plays no more.' ἄτερ, κ.τ.λ. is to be taken proleptically = ὥστε ἄτερ στεροπῆς εἶναι. E. on L. § 38. p. 70. Otherwise the words might mean, 'He desists without lightning:' i.e. his violence comes to an end without doing irreparable harm. Cp. Eur. Med. 93, 4, οὐδὲ παύσεται | χόλου, σάφ' οἶδα, πρὶν κατασκῆψαί τινα: Shak. King John, 4. 2, 'So foul a sky clears not without a storm.' But although Tecmessa is for the moment relieved, her apprehensions are not sufficiently calmed to make this natural.
259. mvp-comment-187-1 Φρόνιμος] Sc. ὤν. Essay on L. § 39. Ρ. 72. φρόνιμον (sc. ὄντα) is a v. r. or MS. conjecture.
260. mvp-comment-188-1 οἰκεῖα πάθη] Troubles all one's own.' i.e. both as home-felt and self-wrought. Cp. El. 215, οἰκείας εἰς ἄτας.
261. mvp-comment-189-1 παραπράξαντος] «Having assisted.' Cp. παραδράω ( οἷά τε τοῖς ἀγαθοῖσι παραδρώωσι χέρηες, Od. 15, 324).
262. mvp-comment-190-1 μεγάλας ὀδύνας ὑποτείνει] 'Causes intense grief within.' ὑποτείνει, 1.2. ὑπέχει ἐντεταμένως. Cp. Pind. O1. 2. 100, βαθεῖαν ὑπέχων μέριμναν ἀγροτέραν.
263. mvp-comment-191-1 'But if he hath ceased' (from his madness), 'he must be surely happy.' Others take εὐτυχεῖν impersonally, as in Oed. Tyr 88, πάντ᾽ ἂν εὐτυχεῖν, –‘All must be well.'
264. mvp-comment-192-1 'For trouble counts for less when it is gone.' The gen. is first absolute, and then in regimen with λόγος. Cp. infr. 1161, 2, κἀμοὶ γὰρ αἴσχιστον κλύειν | ἀνδρὸς ματαίου φλαῦρ᾽ ἔπη μυθουμένου.
265. mvp-comment-193-1 αἵρεσιν] Sc. τούτων, viz. ll. 266, 7, which πότερα anticipates.
266. mvp-comment-194-1 ἔχειν] Supr. 203.
267. mvp-comment-195-1 κοινὸς ἐν κοινοῖσι] Essay on L. § 44. p. 83. Or to be with others and mingle your sorrow with theirs.' ξυνών marks that while Ajax was delirious, he stood apart from the grief which others felt for him.
269. mvp-comment-196-1 'Our case, then, since the madness left us, is grown more desperate.' Tecmessa identifies her lot with that of Ajax. Compare infr. 791, μῶν ὀλώλαμεν; A few lines below (273-6) she speaks of herself in the plural as contrasted with him.
272. mvp-comment-197-1 οἶσιν. . κακοῖς] i. e. κακοῖς ἐν οἶσιν εἴχετο. Cp. infr. 1144, 5, ἡνίκ᾽ ἐν κακῷ | χειμῶνος εἴχετ'.
275. mvp-comment-198-1 πᾶς ἐλήλαται] 'Is vexed to the uttermost.' πᾶς is adverbial. See Essay on L. § 23. p. 38, and cp. infr. 519, ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σώζομαι. The perfect, as in πεφόβημαι, supr. 139, expresses a completed state.
277. mvp-comment-199-1 ἆρ'..;] Essay on L. § 29. p. 50. 'What is this but to have the sorrow doubled that before was single?' Cp. Constance in King John, 3. 4. 'I am not mad; - I would to heaven I were! For then 'tis like I should forget myself: O, if I could, what grief should I forget!'
278-279. mvp-comment-200-1 μὴ ἐκ θεοῦ | πληγή τις ἥκει] 'That a calamity is really come from Heaven.' The chorus before admitted as a possibility ( supr. 186, ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος) what now appears to be too certain. Hence the indicative is more forcible here, although the subjunctive ( ἥκῃ) is more regular and may be the true reading.
282-283. mvp-comment-201-1 'In what wise lighted on you the commencement of the trouble? Tell us, who grieve with you at the misfortune, what it is.' τύχας, continuing the notion of κακοῦ, is governed either (1) both of δήλωσον and of ξυναλγοῦσιν, or (2) of ξυναλγοῦσιν only.
284. mvp-comment-202-1 ὡς κοινωνὸς ὤν] 'As you are no less interested.'
285. mvp-comment-203-1 ἄκρας νυκτός] 'At dead of night.' That this, and not 'on the verge of night,' is the meaning here, appears from the context. The flames lighted at evening were burnt out, so that all was dark. ἄκρᾳ σὺν ἑσπέρᾳ in Pind. Pyth. 11. 16, is explained by Dissen 'ad seram vesperam.'
286. mvp-comment-204-1 Cp. Od. 18. 307, αὐτίκα λαμπτῆρας τρεῖς ἵστασαν ἐν μεγάροισιν, | ὄφρα φαείνοιεν, περὶ δὲ ξύλα κάγκανα θῆκαν καὶ δᾷδας μετέμισγον: ib. 19. 64, φύως ἔμεν ἠδὲ θέρεσθαι.
287. mvp-comment-205-1 κενάς] «Objectless;' i.e. without apparent cause. Tecmessa knows little of what Ajax does abroad. But she knows that there is something strange in his going forth at night without a summons.
289. mvp-comment-206-1 ἄκλητος is expanded with οὔτε-οὔτε, 'neither-nor.'
291. mvp-comment-207-1 ἀλλά] i. e. 'Instead of there being an alarm of any kind.'
292. mvp-comment-208-1 βαί, ἀεὶ δ᾽ ὑμνούμενα] 'Few words, but to a well-known tune.' Eur. Phoen. 438, πάλαι μὲν οὖν ὑμνηθέν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἐρῶ: Plat. Rep. 8. 549 D, ὅσα φιλοῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὑμνεῖν.
293. mvp-comment-209-1 Cp. Fr. 61, ἄλλως τε καὶ κόρῃ τε κἀργείᾳ γένος, | αἷς κόσμος ἡ σιγή τε καὶ τὰ παῦρ᾽ ἔπη.
294. mvp-comment-210-1 μαθοῦσ᾽] 'When I perceived,' viz. that he was not to be reasoned with. The unusual division of the line marks the reluctant desistence of Tecmessa. Cp. O. T. 1513, ib. 110, and notes.
295. mvp-comment-211-1 πάθας] 'Misfortunes.' The word is used with a vague sense of the horror of a scene, in which Ajax was no less unfortunate than his victims.
297. mvp-comment-212-1 εὔκερών τ᾿ ἄγραν] The horns of the sheep are the most conspicuous object as they are seen in front and from above. The objection 'that the bulls were also horned' is absurdly logical. There is no sufficient reason for preferring the conj. εὔερον. The word describes all the cattle, small and great, excepting the bulls, which have been mentioned separately.
298. mvp-comment-213-1 τοὺς μέν] The bulls.
299. mvp-comment-214-1 ἐρράχιζε] 'Clove in twain.'
299-300. mvp-comment-215-1 τοὺς δὲ δεσμίους | ᾐκίζεθ᾽] 'Others, as his prisoners, he tormented at his pleasure.' ὥστε φῶτας] 'As if human creatures.' ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων] 'Making onsets on the cattle.' Cp. supr. 185.
301. mvp-comment-216-1 ὑπάξας διὰ θυρῶν] 'Issuing suddenly through the doorway.' ὑπό = 'from beneath the tent.' σκιᾷ τινί «In converse with some shadow.' The dative as with διαλέγεσθαι. Tecmessa, not seeing or hearing Athena, supposes Ajax to be addressing some 'bodiless creation' of his brain. Cp. Shak. Hamlet, 3, 4, 'How is't with you, That you do bend your eye on vacancy, And with the incorporal air do hold discourse?'
302. mvp-comment-217-1 ἀνέσπα] «Heaved forth.' Cp. Plat. Theaet. 180 Α, ὥσπερ ἐκ φαρέτρας ῥηματίσκια αἰνιγματώδη ἀνασπῶντες ἀποτοξεύουσιν : Αr. Ran. 903, ῥήματα γομφοπαγή. πινακηδὸν ἀποσπῶν.
303. mvp-comment-218-1 συντιθείς] Sc. τοῖς λόγοις. Εp. προστίθημι.
304. mvp-comment-219-1 ὅσην. . ἰών] 'What insults he had gone and wreaked upon them.' This clause depends at once on λόγους and on γέλων. The participle adds liveliness,-'how he had gone and paid them.'
305. mvp-comment-220-1 ἐπάξας] L. has ἀπάξας both here and supr. 301. Supposing this were right, the same word would be used in two different senses, 'rushing off' and 'rushing back;' but the two words, ὑπάξας, ἐπάξας, seem more appropriate.
306. mvp-comment-221-1 μόλις πως] ‘By slow stages.' The phrase recalls the anxiety with which Tecmessa had watched the gradual awakening. Cp. Thuc. 8. 86, § 2, ἔπειτα μέντοι μόλις ἡσυχάσαντες ἤκουσαν.
307. mvp-comment-222-1 'As he cast his eye along the room, and saw that it was full of ruin.' ἄτη is calamity caused by infatuation. Cp. infr. 351 foll.
308-309. mvp-comment-223-1 ἐν δ᾽ ἐρειπίοις . . ἀρνείου φόνου] 'Amidst the carnage of the flock he sate, a ruin amongst ruins.' The tautology, ἐν ἐρειπίοις ἐρειφθείς, is here expressive. The 2nd genitive, ἀρνείου φόνου (see Essay on L. § 23. p. 37 a), is added to give greater distinctness to ἐρειπίοις νεκρῶν as a single notion.
310. mvp-comment-224-1 'With clenched nails grasping his hair with his hand.' ὄνυξι adds force to ἀπρίξ.
311. mvp-comment-225-1 The order (Essay on L. § 41. p. 76) shows that πλεῖστον is an afterthought. 'For some while, indeed for most of the time.'
312. mvp-comment-226-1 τὰ δείν᾽ . . ἔπη] 'Those dreadful words,' which I remember so vividly. Cp. Ant. 408, τὰ δείν᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ἐπηπειλημένοι. Not merely, 'Words that are dreadful.'
313. mvp-comment-227-1 φανοίην] Fut. opt. Ajax' words were εἰ μὴ φανεῖς.
314. mvp-comment-228-1 ἐν τῷ πράγματος] Cp. Trach. 375, ποῦ ποτ᾽ εἰμὶ πράγματος;
315. mvp-comment-229-1 δείσασα,] 'Being overcome with fear.' As the deprecating φίλοι shows, Tecmessa is excusing herself to the chorus for having told Ajax, under the influence of his threats, that which only plunged him into fresh sorrow. For the participle thus used without an express object, cp. Ant. 1005, δείσας δ' εὐθὺς ἐμπύρων ἐγευόμην. Hermann punctuates as in the text. Others join δείσασα τοὐξειργασμένον, which is less simple.
316. mvp-comment-230-1 ὅσονπερ ἐξηπιστάμην] For this limitation, cp. supr. 295, καὶ τὰς ἐκεῖ μὲν οὐκ ἔχω λέξαι πάθας.
319-320. mvp-comment-231-1 (1) 'He used to teach us that such complainings indicated a degraded and leaden soul.' The infinitive is added epexegetically to complete the abrupt expression ἐξηγεῖτο τοὺς τοιούσδε γόους πρὸς βαρυψύχου ἀνδρός. For ἔχειν, sc. τοὺς τοιούσδε γόους, cp. Il. 18. 495, αὐλοὶ φόρμιγγές τε βοὴν ἔχον. (2) But an inf. after ἐξηγεῖτο is rather required: cp. Aesch. Eum. 595, ὁ μάντις ἐξηγεῖτό σοι μητροκτονεῖν. Can ἔχειν with the adverbial phrase πρὸς... ἀνδρός be used intransitively (= 'proceed from') ( εἶναι appears as a gloss), or should ἄγειν be read, 'He taught us to esteem'? Cp. Ant. 34, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἄγειν | οὐχ ὡς παρ᾿ οὐδέν. For βαρυψύχου it is possible that βραχυψύχου ought to be read.
321. mvp-comment-232-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἀψόφητος, κ.τ.λ.] ἀλλά opposes what follows to the general sense of what precedes. ἀψόφητος ὀξέων κωκυμάτων] ‘Uttering no sound of shrill lamentation.'
322. mvp-comment-233-1 'He breathed deep groans like a lowing bull.' ὑπὸ in comp. implies 'not loud, but deep.'
323. mvp-comment-234-1 νῦν δ'] At first he uttered shrill lamentings, unlike the deep mutterings which before expressed his discontent. 'But now' he is silent. κείμενος] 'Prostrate.' Cp. supr. 207, infr. 427.
325. mvp-comment-235-1 ἥσυχος] « Without sound or motion.' The quietness of Ajax' present mood is ominous. This description prepares the spectator for what he is to see infr. 346.
327. mvp-comment-236-1 τοιαῦτα] Sc. ὥς τι δρασείων κακόν. Tecmessa already apprehends the danger of suicide.
329. mvp-comment-237-1 εἰσελθόντες] When Ajax is discovered by the ἐκκύκλημα, infr. 346, this is equivalent to the scene being changed to within the hut.
330. mvp-comment-238-1 οἱ τοιοίδε] · Men in such mood;' i. e. gloomily bent on self-destruction. λόγοις] This word, to be joined with φίλων, is restored from the quotation of Stobaeus. The reading of the MSS. is hardly possible. λόγοις may have been lost from its similarity to λέγεις in the termination of the next line, and φίλοι may have been added to supply the gap.
331. mvp-comment-239-1 On the order, see Essay on L. § 41. p. 77.
332. mvp-comment-240-1 'That our hero is frenzied with his trouble.' The mariners apprehend that the madness of Ajax is in some way connected with his disappointment. Cp. infr. 925-32. ἡμῖν is dative of the person interested. See Essay on L. § 13. p. 19 f, and cp. supr. 216, ἡμὶν ὁ κλεινὸς | Αἴας ἀπελωβήθη: infr. 733, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμὶν Αἴας ποῦ ᾿στιν, ὡς φράσω τάδε ; κακοῖς] Supr. 275, infr. 532.
333. mvp-comment-241-1 The voice of Ajax is heard from within.
334. mvp-comment-242-1 μᾶλλον] Sc. δεινά σοι λέξω, or γνώσεσθε ταῦτα.
335. mvp-comment-243-1 οἵαν] She judges from the intonation of the cry, which the chorus, infr. 337, do not know whether to interpret as importing madness or grief.
337. mvp-comment-244-1 ἢ τοῖς . . παρών] 'Or to grieve at witnessing the effects of past madness which remain with him.' Cp. supr. 307. The addition of παρών suggests that Ajax, seeing the carnage in the tent, is the eye-witness of his own madness.
339. mvp-comment-245-1 Ajax calls upon Teucer. παῖ is frequently addressed by an elder person to a younger, even by the Corinthian messenger to Oedipus, O. Τ. 1008, and by Electra (under excitement) to the supposed Phocian stranger, El. 1220. The picture in the Iliad, 8. 271, of Teucer retiring behind the shield of Ajax, παῖς ὡς ὑπὸ μητέρα, suggests that Teucer was the younger brother. And it is natural to suppose Ajax to have been born before Telamon's expedition in which he won Hesione, the mother of Teucer.-According to Pindar in the fifth (or sixth) Isthmian ode, Ajax was given to Telamon in answer to the prayer of Heracles before the expedition. But in such details the legends are not constant. See O. C. 375, and note. Lycophr. 445 and schol. -The need of Teucer's presence is Ajax' first thought on coming to himself. Tecmessa at first thinks of the child, until, in l. 342, Ajax calls Teucer by name. He does not ask to see the child till l.530, after his attention has been vividly drawn that way by Tecmessa.
341. mvp-comment-246-1 τάλαιν᾽ ἐγώ] Tecmessa is distracted between the fear of crossing Ajax and the fear of harm to the child. The division of the line helps to mark this distraction of the wife and mother.
343. mvp-comment-247-1 λεηλατήσει] Teucer is gone foraging into the Mysian highlands, infr. 720. Compare Thuc. 1. 11, φαίνεται .. πρὸς γεωργίαν τῆς · Χερσονήσου τραπόμενοι καὶ λῃστείαν τῆς τροφῆς ἀπορίᾳ. ἐγὼ δ'] · While that I.'
345. mvp-comment-248-1 κἀπ᾿ ἐμοὶ βλέψας] ‘Even at me, on seeing me.' The abrupt expression, αἰδῶ λαβεῖν ἐπί τινι, is supplemented by the addition of the participle, i.e. εἰς ἐμὲ βλέψας. αἰδώς is the feeling which prompts σωφροσύνη.
346. mvp-comment-249-1 ἐκκύκλημα. Ajax is disclosed with signs of slaughter about him. He is sitting upright. The slaughtered sheep are the evidence of his situation ( τὰ τοῦδε πράγη): his wild, dishevelled appearance betrays the condition of his mind ( αὐτὸς ὡς ἔχων κυρεῖ).
348. mvp-comment-250-1 The lyrical numbers of this commos are chiefly dochmiac, mixed with iambic and trochaic rhythms, which increase in the third strophe and antistrophe. The scheme is the following...
348. mvp-comment-250-2 The arrangement of the latter part of γ' is rendered doubtful by the manifest corruption of ll. 406, 7. Perhaps- εἰ τἀμὰ μὲν φθίνει, φίλοι, πάλαι· μώραις δ᾽ ἄγραισι ταῖσδ᾽ ὁμοῦ προσκείμεθα. And in the antistrophe, 424, 5, τύδ᾽ ἐξερῶ μέγ᾽ οἷον οὔτινα Τροία στρατοῦ δέρχθη χθονὸς μολόντ' ἀπό. Or, reading τάδε for τά, and omitting τοῖσδ᾽ ὁμοῦ, στρατοῦ, and ἀπό, - εἰ τάδε μὲν φθίνει, φίλοι, πάλαι· μώραις δ᾽ ἄγραις προσκείμεθα, | πᾶς.
348. mvp-comment-250-3 and- ἐξερέω μέγ', οἷον οὔτινα Τροία χθονὸς δέρχθη μολόνθ' | Ἑλ.. See note on 405 foll.
348. mvp-comment-250-4 Ajax at once perceives the mariners. 'The great rage, you see, is killed in him,' but the ground-swell of his passion is still heard.
349. mvp-comment-251-1 μόνοι ἐμῶν φίλων] Sc. παρόντες, or some such word, which is expanded in what follows.
350. mvp-comment-252-1 ὀρθῷ νόμῳ] Sc. τῷ τῆς φιλίας.
351. mvp-comment-253-1 ἴδεσθέ μ᾽ οἷον, κ.τ.λ.] με is to be taken (1) after ἴδεσθε, and (2) after ἀμφίδρομον κυκλεῖται, the latter being a picturesque expansion of ἀμφικυκλεῖται. φοινίας ὑπὸ ζάλης] 'Lashed by a cruel storm.' ζάλη is a squall accompanied with rain or hail. The surge surrounding Ajax is the heap of mangled victims, together with the horror which they symbolize. For the boldness of this image, cp. El. 733, κλύδων᾿ ἔφιππον ἐν μέσῳ κυκώμενον.
354-355. mvp-comment-254-1 'Alas! It is clear thou art too true a witness.' The chorus do not immediately respond to Ajax: but, being horror-struck at what they see, express their reflections on the situation to Tecmessa. The description she has given is only too true. The meaning of μαρτυρεῖν and the coldness of l. 355, as addressed to Ajax, prove this to be the right way of understanding the words.
355. mvp-comment-255-1 ὡς ἀφροντίστως ἔχει] (1) ‘How far he is from sane,' sc. ὁ Alas, replying to supr. 347. Or possibly (2), sc. τοὔργον, 'How little of sane thought is present in it.' 'Indeed, the fact declares that thought has had no part in what is done.' For the transference of a personal attribute from the agent to the act, cp. O. C. 240, 977, τό γ' ἆκον πρᾶγμα: Aesch. Ag. 1377, ἀγὼν . . οὐκ ἀφροντίστως. · Notandus euphemismus pro μανικῶς, Herm. Cp. Shak. King Lear, 4. 6. 81, 'The safer sense will ne'er accommodate | His master thus.'
356. mvp-comment-256-1 γένος .. τέχνας] Ο brother-band of helpers, who help by shipcraft.' ναΐας . τέχνας is a descriptive genitive explaining ἀρωγόν.
357. mvp-comment-257-1 'Who didst go on board the ship and ply' ( ἑλίσσων proleptic) 'the oar of the sea,' viz. in coming to Troy. A change in the MS. reading is necessary. Some prefer to read ὃς ἁλίαν .. ἔβας, 'Who camest plying,' etc. ναῦν, suggested by πλάταν, is to be supplied with ἐπέβας.
360. mvp-comment-258-1 (1) Ajax, although recovering his sanity, is still haunted by the impressions of the night, and the sight of the mariners reminds him of the shepherds, who had failed to defend the flock ( supr. 27,232). Begging for death from them, he bids them do what the shepherds could not. (Shak. Ant. and Cleo. 4. 14, 'Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts | Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?') 'In thee I behold the only shepherd to support the flock; come, lay me dead beside them!' This explanation has the advantage of supposing only one ellipse with both verbs, viz. τῇ ποίμνῃ. In this case μόνον ποιμένων is to be explained as an idiomatic expression, in which, as in μόνος τῶν ἄλλων, the privative word has a negative force: i.e. 'You, and not the shepherds, shall avenge the sheep.' Cp. Ant. 773, ἔρημος.. στίβος. (The sense might be made clearer by reading ποιμνίοις for ποιμένων.) Others (2) suppose 'shepherds' to be put figuratively for 'comforters,' or (3) take ποιμένων as gen. obj. = 'to defend thy lord.' Others conjecture πημονὰν ἐπαρκέσοντ᾽, πημονῶν ἔτ᾿ ἄρκος ὄντ᾽.
363. mvp-comment-259-1 'Do not (1) aggravate the blow of disaster;' or (2) 'Make the sorrow worse than the calamity.' For the whole sentence, cp. Thuc. 5. 65, κακὸν κακῷ ἱᾶσθαι: O. C. 438.
366. mvp-comment-260-1 'Redoubtable in valour amongst harmless beasts.' For ev, cp. infr. 1315, μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ἐμοὶ θρασύς. The phrase ἀφόβοις θηρσί is clearly an oxymoron, but has been diversely explained either as (1) 'harmless' ( τοῖς μὴ φόβον ἐμο ποιοῦσι, Schol.), or (2) 'game that flies not' (' quibus sanus quisque parcit, non solum quia nihil periculi nobis creant sed etiam quia fidei nostrae confidunt,' Lobeck.) The former is more in point. Ajax had been valiant 'where no fear was.' His prey was even less glorious than the boar or lion, which, though not human, are still formidable.
367. mvp-comment-261-1 οἷον] Sc. γέλωτα. 'What insulting mockery has been heaped on me!'
369. mvp-comment-262-1 The sight of Tecmessa, whom he must abandon, provokes Ajax to new rage. He first breaks forth on her impatiently, and then laments aloud. In what follows he is regardless both of her and the chorus.
373. mvp-comment-263-1 ὃς χερὶ μέν] For the position of μέν, which belongs properly to the verb, see Essay on L. § 41. pp. 78,9. The instrumental dative is used, with a fore-feeling of the latter part of the sentence, for ἐκ χερός. Mr. Jebb understands Ajax to mean that 'he had let off the Greeks in respect of personal chastisement, and merely damaged them in property.' But this softens the antithesis too much. The difficulty may be avoided by reading (with Schndw.) ὃς χεροῖν, and προγύνων πάτερ in the antistrophe, l. 387.
375. mvp-comment-264-1 The epithets here are echoes of the epic style, but possibly with some variation of meaning. 'Goodly,' which is the meaning of κλυτός in such expressions as κλυτὰ μῆλα (Od. 9. 308), is not sufficiently pointed here, and the Scholiast may be right in saying κλυτὰ λέγει τὰ αἰπόλια διὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ταραχὰς καὶ φωνάς. 'The horned kine and bleating herds of goats.'
376. mvp-comment-265-1 'I rained forth dark-flowing blood.' ἐρεμνόν is another Homeric epithet, not merely signifying 'dark' (and so recalling μέλαν αἷμα), but ' darkling,' with reference to the gloom of night and other circumstances of horror which surrounded the act.
377. mvp-comment-266-1 ὅπως οὐχ ὧδ᾽ ἔχειν] ὅπως is here simply an indefinite ὡs, and is construed with the infinitive as ὡς might have been.
379. mvp-comment-267-1 The former outburst was towards the Atreidae. He now breaks forth against Odysseus.
379. mvp-comment-267-2 πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν] Cp. supr. 29, Phil. 1013, 4, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ κακὴ σὴδιὰ μυχῶν βλέπουσ᾽' ἀεὶ | ψυχή, κ.τ.λ.
381. mvp-comment-268-1 κακοπινέστατον.. ἄλημα στρατοῦ] 'Abominable misleader of the host.' So the Scholiast seems to understand the words, κακοπινέστατον, 'defiled,' i. e. by continual base practices. Musgrave suggested an allusion to the act of disguising himself as a wandering beggar mentioned in Od. 4. 242 foll., but preferred to derive ἄλημα (= παιπάλη) from ἀλέω. The earlier explanation is here preferable to both these, and in infr. 390, ἄλημα may quite well mean, 'cause of error' ( τῶν Ἑλλήνων, gl. Pal.). Cp. the causative use of ἄλη in Aesch. Ag. 195, δύσορμοι | βροτῶν ἄλαι. The error of which Ajax most complains is the misjudgment about the arms of Achilles.
382. mvp-comment-269-1 ἄγεις] 'Dost prolong.'
383. mvp-comment-270-1 ξὺν τῷ θεῷ] The article is not added to θεός elsewhere in Sophocles without special reason, and the conjecture of Schndw. ξύν τοι θεῷ supplies a article of connexion. But the asyndeton is rather impressive, and τῷ θεῷ may be explained 'the god who gives the laughter or the tears.' 'Laughter and sorrow are in the hands of God;' i. e. 'we must be patient and the position may be reversed.' The chorus reflect that the Divine power which now favours Odysseus and oppresses Ajax may hereafter work the opposite effect. Cp. Trach. 131 foll. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πῆμα καὶ χαρὰ | πᾶσι κυκλοῦσιν, οἷον | ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι.
384. mvp-comment-271-1 The syllable which has been probably lost from this line has been variously restored, μέν, νῦν, μήν, etc., the Triclinian reading is harmless, and is followed in the text, in the absence of better MS. authority. Ajax prays to see his enemy, that, even ruined as he is, he may avenge himself. Cp. infr. 388-91, Trach. 1107 foll. ἀλλ᾽ εὖ γέ τοι τύδ᾽ ἴστε, κἂν τὸ μηδὲν ὦ, | κἂν μηδὲν ἔρπω, τὴν γε δράσασαν τάδε | χειρώσομαι κἀκ τῶνδε προσμόλοι μόνον, κ.τ.λ. This is more probable than an aposiopesis of ὀδυρόμενον.
384. mvp-comment-271-2 or the like, though this may be suggested by comparing Phil. 1113 foll. ἰδοίμαν δε νιν, | τὸν τάδε μησάμενον, τὸν ἴσον χρόνον | ἐμὰς λαχόντ᾽ ἀνίας.
387. mvp-comment-272-1 προγόνων προπάτωρ] Zeus was only the great-grandsire of Ajax, but the feeling of Sophocles and his age required that the Divine source should seem more remote. For similar vagueness in speaking of the past, cp. Ant. 981, 2, where σπέρμα. ἀρχαιογόνων | ἄντασ᾿ Ερεχθειδᾶν is said of the grand-daughter of Erechtheus. Also supr. 190.
390. mvp-comment-273-1 ὀλέσσας] The σ is doubled Epicè. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 864, ὅσσας δ' είλε πόλεις.
391. mvp-comment-274-1 τέλος θάνοιμι καὐτός] Ajax desires death, but death would be sweeter if he could first be avenged on his enemies. The feeling here is slightly different from Aesch. Choeph. 438, ἔπειτ' ἐγὼ νοσφίσας ὀλοίμαν, where the participle has an exclusive emphasis ('if I could only take their lives'), and there is no real desire of death.
394. mvp-comment-275-1 Ajax, who had once prayed for light, now prays for darkness as his only light.
396. mvp-comment-276-1 φαεννότατον, ὡς ἐμοί] Most brilliant, in my sight.' Cp. Ant. 1161, Κρέων γὰρ ἦν ζηλωτός, ὡς ἐμοί, ποτέ.
397. mvp-comment-277-1 ἕλεσθ᾽ ἔλεσθέ μ'] In the spirit of polytheism the two names σκότος and έρεβος are imagined to denote two beings. Hence the plural. For the middle voice, cp. Ο. Τ. 887, κακά νιν ἔλοιτο μοίρα.
399. mvp-comment-278-1 i. e. οὐκέτι γὰρ ἄξιός εἰμι βλέπειν οὔτε εἰς θεῶν γένος οὔτε εἰς ὄνασιν τινα ἁμερίων ἀνθρώπων. For the omission of the preposition in the former clause, cp. Ant. 789, 90, καί σ' οὔτ᾽ ἀθανάτων φύξιμος οὐδείς, | οὔθ᾽ ἁμερίων ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων : and for βλέπειν εἰς, cp. Ant. 922, 3, τί χρή με τὴν δύστηνον εἰς θεοὺς ἔτι | βλέπειν; Others (see v. rr.) join τινὰ ἀνθρώπων, making εἰς ὅνασιν adverbial, and understand βλέπειν with the accusative to be equivalent to βλέπειν εἰς.
403. mvp-comment-279-1 †ὀλέθριον αἰκίζει] The MS. reading is unmetrical, unless on the somewhat forced supposition that εὔφρονες in the antistrophe may be scanned ἐύφρονες. Wunder conjectured οὔλιον, which restores the metre. But ούλιος is everywhere active, and we can hardly venture to introduce it passively here. All that can be said is that ὀλέθριον has probably taken the place of some equivalent word (such as πάμμορον), unless we may be satisfied with ὀλέθρι', the adverbial plural. Hermann's attempt to scan the two lines thus, ἀλκίμα θεὸς ὁ λέθριον αἰκίζει, -υ-νου-ου- is unusually violent.
404. mvp-comment-280-1 ποῖ . μενῶ] 'Whither shall I go and find rest?' The subjunctive in φύγῃ is excused by the implication of the first person in the third.
405. mvp-comment-281-1 The Scholion, διὰ (τὴν κατὰ L) τὴν κρίσιν τῶν ὅπλων, is not inconsistent with the reading in the text, which admits of being construed thus, 'Seeing that things here are perishing together with these victims by my side.' But the language is at once obscure and feeble, and the metre does not agree with the antistrophe. There must be something wrong. The general meaning is, 'I am finally ruined, and at this moment am involved in ridicule and disgrace.' The simplest change is to read τάδε μέν for τὰ μὲν (Elmsl.), and τίσις δ᾽ for τοῖσδ' (Lobeck), i. e. (405-8) εἰ τάδε μὲν φθίνει φίλοι, τίσις δ᾽ | ὁμοῦ πέλας: and (423-6) ἐξερέω μέγ' οἷον οὔτινα Τροία στρατοῦ. But even so, there is too much of repetition for a lyric passage, and it is reasonable to suppose some deeper corruption. For example, τοῖσδ᾽ ὁμοῦ may have grown out of πέλας, and this may be a corruption of πάλαι. Then supposing (with Schndw.) that στρατοῦ and ἀπό are excrescences in the antistrophe, we might read (405-8), εἰ τάδε μὲν φθίνει, φίλοι, πάλαι, | μώραις δ' ἄγραις προσκείμεθα, and (423-6), εξερέω μέγ', οἷον οὔτινα | Τροία χθονὸς δέρχθη μολόνθ' | etc. See note on l. 348. But nothing can be asserted confidently about this passage. For προσκείμεθα, cp. El. 1040, ᾧ σὺ πρόσκεισαι κακῷ.
408. mvp-comment-282-1 Cp. supr. 251. δίπαλτος] «With spears in both hands' - δύο δοῦρε παλλόμενοι. On this use of the adjective, see Essay on L. § 5.3. p. 98, also § 42. p. 80y; and cp. esp. El. 1494, κού πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν: Aesch. Ag. 1652, πρόκωπος.. θανεῖν. ἂν.. φονεύοι] The sentence, although introduced with el, is continued independently of the hypothetical construction.
410. mvp-comment-283-1 χρήσιμον] 'Serviceable,' here answers to the Epic βοὴν ἀγαθός, ‘good at need.' The essential value of Ajax' services to the army is emphasized throughout. Cp. esp. supr. 119, 20.
413. mvp-comment-284-1 πόροι ἁλίρροθοι] 'Paths of the surging sea,' i. e. either generally, or with reference to the narrow seas of the Aegean, called πόντιαι αὐλῶνες in Trach. 100, which separated Ajax from his home; or, possibly, to the Hellespont, which had witnessed his exploits, and is called by Xerxes, in Hdt. 7.35, ἁλμυρὸς ποταμός. Cp. infr. 884, Aesch. Pers. 367.
414. mvp-comment-285-1 πάραλά τ᾽ ἄντρα, κ.τ.λ.] These were especially familiar to Ajax from his position at the end of the line towards Rhoeteum.
416. mvp-comment-286-1 ἀμπνοὰς ἔχοντα] i. e. 'If you keep me here, it will not be in life.'
417. mvp-comment-287-1 φρονῶν] ‘If he have sense to perceive.'
420. mvp-comment-288-1 εὔφρονες ᾿Αργείοις] i.e. 'Kind to me no longer, but to my enemies.' In a different mood he afterwards ( infr. 863) bids farewell to the rivers of Troy as his nurses.
424. mvp-comment-289-1 οἷον, κ.τ.λ.] In Homeric fashion Ajax boasts himself to be the bravest of the Greeks. Cp. II. 18. 104, 5, τοῖος ἐὼν οἷος οὔτις᾿ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων | ἐν πολέμῳ. That he is the bravest next to Achilles is the Homeric tradition, and he is acknowledged to be so by his enemy Odysseus, infr. 1341. The arrangement of this part of the antistrophe must be adapted to the change made in the strophe. See note on 405 foll. For μέγα, cp. Pind. Nem. 6. 45, 6, ἔλπομαι μέγα εἰπὼν σκοποῦ ἄντα τυχεῖν.
425. mvp-comment-290-1 The hiatus after ἀπό at the end of the (lyric) iambic line is doubtful.
427. mvp-comment-291-1 The reading πρόκειται is not wholly impossible.
428. mvp-comment-292-1 οὔθ᾽ ὅπως] Elmsley would read οὐδ᾽, because there is no te preceding. But this is too strict.
430. mvp-comment-293-1 For a ῥῆσις similarly following μέλη ἀπὸ σκηνῆς, cp. El. 254 foll.; Trach. 1046 foll.; O. T. 1369 foll.; O. C. 258 foll. Ajax, in his solitude (for he hardly feels the presence of Tecmessa) in passing to a more collected mood, first utters the note of sadness, and then is struck by the correspondence of the repeated syllable with his own name. Many poets have observed how the mind in moments of intense feeling becomes engaged with trifles:- 'Strange, that the mind, when fraught With a passion so intense One would think that it well Might drown all life in the eye That it should, by being so overwrought, Suddenly strike on a sharper sense For a shell, or a flower, little things, Which else would have been past by.' TENNYSON's Maud. The cry of woe, alaî, sounds to Ajax like the reverberation of his name, and with the superstitious feeling which attached to words casually spoken, he dwells on the resemblance. 'Ay me! -Who ever could have thought that my name would thus be the appropriate expression for my woes?' Cp. esp. Fr. 877, ὀρθῶς δ' Ὀδυσσεύς εἰμ', ἐπώνυμος κακοῖς· | πολλοὶ γὰρ ὠδύσαντο δυσμενεῖς ἐμοί. And see Essay on L. § 44. p. 83, Lersch, Sprach-philosophie, vol. 3. pp. 3 foll. ἐπώνυμον supplements the predication of ξυνοίσειν, 'Agree in the way of naming.' (The conj. ξυνάσειν, although ingenious, is quite unnecessary.)
432. mvp-comment-294-1 δίς refers to the repetition of the syllable in alaῖ.
433. mvp-comment-295-1 τοιούτοις] Sc. ὥστε πρέπον εἶναι πολλάκις αἰάζειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς.
434. mvp-comment-296-1 ὅτου] For this pathetic use of ὅστις, cp. esp. Ο.Τ. 1184, ὅστις πέφασμαι, κ.τ.λ. The clauses with μέν and dé do not quite correspond. In l. 437 the sentence passes out of the relative construction.
435. mvp-comment-297-1 'Having won from all the host by his supreme valour the fairest prize.' καλλιστεία can hardly be taken as equivalent to ἀριστεῖα. It is probably used with an inaccurate sense of its derivation from κάλλιστος: - i. e. 'the prize of beauty' is understood to mean, not the prize given to the most beautiful, but the most beautiful given as a prize. The accusative is cognate after ἀριστεύσας, i.e. ἀριστεύσας κάλλιστα ἀριστεία. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 214, 5, πόλεος ἐκπροκριθεῖσ᾽ ἐμᾶς | καλλιστεύματα Λοξία.
437. mvp-comment-298-1 The bisected line following the smooth preceding verses has a grating effect, which is here expressive.
438. mvp-comment-299-1 For the genitive Τροίας, see E. on L. § 10. p. 17, 6. ἐπελθών] 'Coming in my turn.'
438. mvp-comment-299-2 οὐκ ἐλάσσονι σθένει] In saying that he was not less in might or in achievements than Telamon, Ajax has the same feeling that is expressed by Sthenelus in the Iliad, 4. 405, ἡμεῖς τοι πατέρων μέγ᾿ ἀμείνονες εὐχόμεθ᾽ εἶναι.
439. mvp-comment-300-1 ἀρκέσας] «Having achieved.' In Thuc. 2. 47, οὔτε γὰρ ἰατροὶ ἤρκουν θεραπεύοντες ἀγνοίᾳ, ἀρκεῖν is used absolutely 'to avail.' Here in the same sense it takes a 'cognate' accusative of that in which effort is successful. Cp. infr. 535, τοῦτό γ᾽ ἀρκέσαι : Aesch. Pers. 278, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἤρκει τόξα.
440. mvp-comment-301-1 The dative is to be joined with ἄτιμος, = πρὸς ᾿Αργείων and ἐν ᾿Αργείοις. The Argives are at once the agents and the witnesses of Ajax' dishonour. His mind reverts to the critical moment- the judgment of the arms.
442-443. mvp-comment-302-1 'Were Achilles alive, and had he to decide the question of his arms and to adjudge the meed of valour to some one.'
444. mvp-comment-303-1 αὔτ᾽] αὐτά. ἔμαρψεν] "Grasped.' The vivid word expresses Ajax' sense of his right to the arms, and of the violent usurpation of Odysseus. ἄλλος ἀντ᾿ ἐμοῦ] · Another and not I.' Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, 5.
445. mvp-comment-304-1 φωτί παντουργῷ φρένας] « Το an all-accomplished rogue.' Although παντουργῷ is said contemptuously, it is not necessary to suppose that it has all the associations of πανουργός. φρένας has probably an emphasis in opposition to κράτη in l. 446. Ajax speaks with scorn of those varied mental resources of which he does not feel the need.
446. mvp-comment-305-1 ἔπραξαν] «Made them over,' or, as we say in common parlance. 'jobbed them.' πράσσειν often means to 'intrigue' in a bad sense. Cp. esp. O. T. 124, 5, εἴ τι μὴ ξὺν ἀργυρῷ ἐπράσσετ' ἐνθένδ', and note. ἀπώσαντες] 'Setting aside my deeds of valour,' i. e. rejecting from consideration my valiant services.
447-448. mvp-comment-306-1 διάστροφοι | γνώμης ἀπῇξαν] 'Started aside from my purpose.' διάστροφοι is (1) supplem. predicate, or perhaps (2) = διάστροφοι οὖσαι. Ср. supr. 258.
449. mvp-comment-307-1 ἐψήφισαν] 'Determined by vote.' The judges would be said ψηφίζεσθαι, 'to give their votes.' The generals, who conducted the voting, are said ψηφίζειν, 'to manage by votes,' as Menelaus is accused of having done dishonestly, infr. 1135. On rare uses of the active voice in Soph., see Essay on L. § 30. p. 516; § 53. p. 98.
450. mvp-comment-308-1 Instead of γλαυκώπις, the usual epithet for Athena, Ajax resentfully uses γοργῶπις, with some recollection of the grim appearance of the goddess as she hounded him to the mad onset, supr. 59, 60. ἀδάματος is 'invincible,' not merely 'unwedded,' though the latter notion may be contained in the word.
451. mvp-comment-309-1 ἐπευθύνοντ'] 'In act of stretching forth.' Ajax ( supr. 49) was at the tent-door of the Atreidae, and had little more to do than to stretch out his hand. The v. r. ἐπεντύνοντα would mean 'arming,' but he was already armed. ἐπεντείνοντα is better, but is probably a correction of ἐπεντύνοντ',
453. mvp-comment-310-1 τοιοίσδε is said with a rueful glance at the slaughtered animals, which in his delirium he had taken for his enemies.
455. mvp-comment-311-1 ἐμοῦ μὲν οὐχ ἑκόντος] ‘Not with my will, indeed.' The will of Ajax is not crushed. He still protests against the Providence that has spared his foes, whom he regards as his inferiors, though they have triumphed.
457-458. mvp-comment-312-1 ὅστις.. ἐχθαίρομαι] We are afterwards informed, infr. 756, that the Divine anger against Ajax is not permanent. For ὅστις, without distinct antecedent, see Essay on L. § 39. p. 72, 2.
459. mvp-comment-313-1 πεδία τάδε] Above all, for last night's violence.
461. mvp-comment-314-1 μόνους τ' ᾿Ατρείδας] 'And (leaving) the Atreidae to fight alone,' i. e. unsupported by Ajax, whose valour outweighs all others.
462. mvp-comment-315-1 καί] 'Then,' 'in that case.' καί here introduces an objection, as in καὶ πῶς; Cp. esp. Ant. 449, καὶ δῆτ᾽ ἐτόλμας τούσδ᾽ ὑπερβαίνειν νόμους; ποῖον ὄμμα.. Τελαμώνι] • How shall I come before my father Telamon, and meet his eye?' As in O. Τ. 1371, ὄμμασιν ποίοις, the adjective has an adverbial force.
464. mvp-comment-316-1 γυμνὸν .. ἄτερ] For the pleonasm, see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, 5.
465. mvp-comment-317-1 'Which he won for a glorious garland of renown.' ὧν is an appositional genitive. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.
466. mvp-comment-318-1 ἀλλὰ δῆτ'] Cp. Phil. 1352, ἀλλ᾽ εἰκάθω δῆτα;
467. mvp-comment-319-1 μόνος μόνοις] 'In single opposition' = οἰόθεν οἷος. The word is repeated for emphasis, without weighing the exact meaning. E. on L. § 44. p. 83 foll. Cp. Shak. Cor. 1. 4. 'He is himself alone, | To answer all the city.'
469. mvp-comment-320-1 Ajax, who has withdrawn from battle out of resentment against the Atreidae, cannot stultify himself in his last act of all.
471. mvp-comment-321-1 τοιάδ᾽, ἀφ᾿ ἧς] Cp. Phil. 17, τοιάδ᾽, ἵν᾽ ἐν ψύχει, κ.τ.λ.
472. mvp-comment-322-1 The use of μή is occasioned by the notion of purpose which pervades the sentence. φύσιν γ'] 'In my real nature,' though I am a craven in their estimation who have placed me beneath Odysseus. For similar emphatic use of φύσιν, cp. O. C. 270, πῶς ἐγὼ κακὸς φύσιν;
473. mvp-comment-323-1 He has sufficiently indicated his intention of suicide, and now gives his reason for it. τοῦ μακροῦ.. βίου] The article is added as with words of number or quantity. Cp. Ο. Τ. 518, βίου τοῦ μακραίωνος, and for the sentiment, Fr. 867, ὅστις γὰρ ἐν κακοῖσιν ἱμείρει βίου, ἢ δειλός ἐστιν ἡ δυσάλγητος φρένας : Plato, Phaedo 117 Α, γέλωτα ὀφλήσειν παρ᾿ ἐμαυτῷ, γλιχόμενος τοῦ ζῆν καὶ φειδόμενος, οὐδενὸς ἔτι ἐνόντος.
474. mvp-comment-324-1 'Who in a life of evils finds no release from them.' κακοῖσιν is dative of circumstance. (E. on L. § 14. p. 20 a.) Cp. Eur. Suppl. 1042, τοῖς παρεστῶσιν κακοῖς. ἐξαλλάσσεται, sc. τῶν κακῶν.
475-476. mvp-comment-325-1 'For what pleasure is there in day following day? Can it add to or take away anything from death?' For the variation in παρ᾽ ἦμαρ ἡμέρα, cp. Ant. 596, γενεὰν γένος : Eur. Hec. 410, παρείαν .. παρηΐδι. The meaning is not here alternate days, but 'day after day,' i. e. the extension of time, 'To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow.' Cp. Shak. J. C. 3. 1, 'That we shall die, we know: 'tis but the time And drawing days out, that men stand upon.' τὸ κατθανεῖν is the fact, i.e. the certainty of death. The opposites προσθεῖσα κάν-αθεῖσα are both mentioned, although the latter only is in point. For this, cp. Ant. 39, λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἡ 'φάπτουσα; and for the disjunctive καί, Thuc. 5. 23, ἣν δέ τι δοκῇ.. προσθεῖναι καὶ ἀφελεῖν. For the meaning, cp. 'Come he slow or come he fast, It is but Death that comes at last.' Sir W. Sсотт, Lord of the Isles. Also El. 1485, 6, τί γὰρ βροτῶν ἂν σὺν κακοῖς μεμιγμένων | θνήσκων ὁ μέλλων τοῦ χρόνου κέρδος φέροι; As in Pind. Οl. 7. 110, ἂμ πάλον μέλλεν θέμεν, ἀνατιθέναι is here used in the sense of 'to retract,' in which ἀνατίθεσθαι often occurs. The absence of personal reference accounts for the active voice being preferred to the middle, as in supr. 449, ἐψήφισαν: infr. 1037, μηχανᾶν. Essay on L. § 31. p. 51 6. τί (or τι) is to be resumed with the second clause, 'What pleasure can time give, by retracting what (or anything)?' Other explanations of these difficult lines are the following :-(1) 'What joy can one day bring more than another, since it can only (ye) bring a man near to death and then reprieve him from it?' (2) 'What joy is brought by day succeeding day, since all that it can do is to add something of death or to defer it?' (3) 'What joy is there in days which alternately bring near and defer the doom of death?'
477. mvp-comment-326-1 οὐδενὸς λόγου] ‘At any valuation.'
478. mvp-comment-327-1 κεναῖσιν] 'Vain, because rendered fruitless by the certainty of death.'
479. mvp-comment-328-1 Cp. Il. 15. 511, where Ajax says, βέλτερον ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἕνα χρόνον ἠὲ βιῶναι.
481. mvp-comment-329-1 ὑπόβλητον] 'False,' i.e. unreal and not your own. Supr. 189, εἰ δ᾽ ὑποβαλλόμενοι | κλέπτουσι μύθους, κ.τ.λ.
482. mvp-comment-330-1 ἀλλὰ τῆς σαυτοῦ φρενός] 'But one proceeding from your inmost thought.'
484. mvp-comment-331-1 γνώμης κρατήσαι] 'To overrule thy purpose.' Cp. supr. 448, γνώμης ἀπῇξαν τῆς ἐμῆς. In Phil. 972, δούς is used absolutely with dat. of the person for 'yielding to advice.' Cp. Trach. 1117, δός μοι σεαυτόν.
485. mvp-comment-332-1 This speech of Tecmessa's has a certain general resemblance to that of Andromache in Il. 6. 407 foll. τῆς ἀναγκαίας τύχης] 'Helpless misfortune.' ἀναγκαία τύχη is the crushing calamity that leaves its victim no chance of extricating himself. The phrase is touchingly expressive of Tecmessa's orphaned and captive state.
488. mvp-comment-333-1 εἴπερ τινός] The hypothetical clause εἴπερ τις is attracted, as a sort of pronoun, into the construction of the clause on which it depends. See E. on L. § 35. p. 60, and cp. ἔνιοι. So in O. C. 734, σθένουσαν.. εἴ τιν' Ἑλλάδος. For σθένοντος ἐν πλούτῳ, cp. Pind. Isthm. 3. 2, σθένει πλούτου; Eur. Εl. 939.
489. mvp-comment-334-1 που] 'I suppose.'
490. mvp-comment-335-1 μάλιστα] 'Above all.' The power of Ajax is more manifest to Tecmessa than that of the gods themselves, and she has learnt to adopt something of his bold way of speaking about them. Cp. infr. 950-3. She knows, too, that it is dangerous in his presence to acknowledge the gods as supreme over him. Cp. infr. 589, 90.
491. mvp-comment-336-1 τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον] Sc. σοί implied in τὸ σόν. 'Since I came to wedlock with thee.' εὐ φρονῶ τὰ σά] 'My thoughts are wholly for thy good.' As she is one with him, she feels that she has a right to speak of what concerns them both.
492-493. mvp-comment-337-1 πρός τ᾽ ἐφεστίου Διὸς | εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς] « By Zeus who has watched over our hearth, and by my union with thee.' Tecmessa's claim rests (1) on her having been admitted by Ajax himself to share his home; (2) on the yet closer tie which binds them together.
493. mvp-comment-338-1 'And by thy marriage bed wherein thou wast joined with me.' For τῆς σῆς, cp. Il. 18. 433; Od. 4. 333. ξυναλλάξασθαι is here 'to enter upon a new relation with.' Cp. especially Eur. Ι. Α. 1157, οὗ σοι καταλλαχθεῖσα, κ.τ.λ.
494. mvp-comment-339-1 μή μ᾿ ἀξιώσῃς] 'Have more regard for me than to let me.' βάξιν] For βάζειν, of ill-natured talk, cp. Hes. Op. 184, τοὺς δ᾽ ἄρα μέμψονται χαλεποῖς βάζοντες ἔπεσσι: (Eur.) Rhes. 718, ἑστίαν ᾿Ατρειδᾶν κακῶς | ἔβαζε.
495. mvp-comment-340-1 χειρίαν ἐφεὶς τινί] 'Letting me fall under the hand of some one.' Cp. infr. 1297, ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.
496. mvp-comment-341-1 εἰ γὰρ θάνῃς σύ] Cp. Ο. C. 1443, εἴ σου στερηθῶ. Some editors have unnecessarily changed ei to ᾖ. For ταύτῃ, in l. 497, without pronominal correlative, cp. Trach. 719, 20, κεῖνος εἰ σφαλήσεται, | ταύτῃ σὺν ὁρμῇ κἀμὲ συνθανεῖν ἅμα. The slight inexactness is here supplemented by the addition of τῇ τότε. ἀφῆς] Sc. ἡμᾶς.
499. mvp-comment-342-1 δουλίαν .. τροφήν] 'The life of slaves.' For the condition of the captive widow, cp. Od. 8. 526 foll. ἡ μὲν τὸν θνήσκοντα καὶ ἀσπαίροντ᾽ ἐσιδοῦσα, | ἀμφ᾿ αὐτῷ χυμένη λίγα κωκύει· οἱ δὲ τ' ὄπισθεν | κόπτοντες δούρεσσι μετάφρενον ἠδὲ καὶ ὤμους, | εἴρερον εἰσανάγουσι πόνον τ' ἐχέμεν καὶ ὀϊζύν· | τῆς δ᾽ ἐλεεινοτάτῳ ἄχεῖ φθινύθουσι παρειαί, and for that of the orphan, Il. 22. 490, ἦμαρ δ᾽ ὀρφανικὸν παναφήλικα, κ.τ.λ.
500. mvp-comment-343-1 πρόσφθεγμα here is what is spoken not to, but at or about a person.
501. mvp-comment-344-1 λόγοις ἰάπτων] 'Hitting with sharp words.' The construction follows the analogy of βάλλειν τινὰ λίθῳ.
502. mvp-comment-345-1 μέγιστον ἴσχυσε] 'Surpassed all men in might.' So the force of the aorist may be expressed.
503. mvp-comment-346-1 οἷας λατρείας] 'What a life of servitude.' The plural indicates the various menial actions included in λατρείας. ἀνθ᾽ ὅσου ζήλου] 'Instead of being so envied as she was.' ζῆλος in the sense of an envied condition occurs several times in Demosthenes. See L. and S. s. v.
504. mvp-comment-347-1 κἀμὲ μὲν δαίμων ἐλᾷ] ‘And I indeed shall go whither destiny shall drive me.' Tecmessa means to say that her lot, however terrible, matters little, but that the honour of Ajax and his race is in question.
508. mvp-comment-348-1 κληρούχον] 'Inheritress,' i. e. possessor. The specific word is used with a generic meaning. Essay on L. §52. p. 97.
510. mvp-comment-349-1 εἰ] 'To think how.' Essay on L. § 28. p. 46.
510-511. mvp-comment-350-1 νέας.. μόνος] ‘With his young life uncared for, bereaved of you, either (1) 'he will live his life' (see L. and S. s. v. διαφέρω), or (2) ‘he will be torn in pieces' (= διαφορηθήσεται). Against (1), which is the Scholiast's and Musgrave's interpretation, it may be urged that ὑπ᾿ ὀρφανιστῶν = ' at the mercy of guardians,' is rather abrupt after διοίσεται in this sense, and that the only authority for this use of the middle voice of διαφέρω is Hippocrates, Art. 823: against (2), which is substantially Hermann's, it can only be said that strictly passive uses of οἴσομαι are rare. Hesychius and the ancient scholiast support (1). For (2) cp. Dem. contr. Steph. p. 1120, 64, ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἀπώλετ᾽ ἐκεῖνος, οὐχ ἥκιστα ὑπὸ τούτου καὶ τῶν τοιούτων διαφορηθείς. For νέα τροφή, cp. Ο. C. 345, 6, ἐξ ὅτου νέας | τροφῆς ἔληξε καὶ κατίσχυσεν δέμας.
512. mvp-comment-351-1 ὑπ᾿ ὀρφανιστῶν μὴ φίλων] Tecmessa bitterly remarks that the only guardians of Eurysaces' orphanhood will not be true guardians, but enemies. ὅσον κακόν, κ.τ.λ.] These words resume the suppressed antecedent of the hypothetical clause, εἰ νέας, κ.τ.λ.
516. mvp-comment-352-1 'And another doom,' etc.; i.e. they were not slain in the destruction of the city. Cp. II. 6. 428. The correction from καὶ μητέρ᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ἡ το καὶ μητέρ᾽ ἄλλη, is not without MS. authority, and is every way necessary; above all as Sophocles thus avoids making Ajax the slayer of Tecmessa's parents. But Hermann's suggestion that a line may have dropped out between 515 and 516, deserves consideration. As he points out, dé rather than καί would seem to be the natural conjunction as the sentence stands.
517. mvp-comment-353-1 θανασίμους is proleptic: 'Laid them low in death and made them inhabitants of the unseen world.'
518-519. mvp-comment-354-1 τίς . . πλοῦτος] « What home or what wealth could be mine instead of you?'
518. mvp-comment-355-1 can e'er be mine to compensate for thee? What fortune?'
519. mvp-comment-356-1 ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σώζομαι] 'My hopes all rest on thee.' For this use of wâs, see Essay on L. § 23. p. 38; and cp. supr. 275.
520. mvp-comment-357-1 Tecmessa, from l. 505 onwards, has tried to put herself out of sight, and to move Ajax by appealing to other interests. But in concluding she returns to the direct personal appeal with which she began. And when this fails to rouse him, she even ventures a word of affectionate reproach.
525-526. mvp-comment-358-1 For av repeated, see Essay on L. § 27. p. 46 e.
527-528. mvp-comment-359-1 The alliteration with T helps to express harshness here. Ajax will not own to feeling pity for Tecmessa, but catches at the word αἰνοίης.
528. mvp-comment-360-1 ἐὰν.. τολμᾷ] Ajax is not thinking of the fears which Tecmessa presently expresses. He simply means, 'I am ready enough to praise her if instead of weak complaints she will bring herself to do what I command.'
531. mvp-comment-361-1 'Oh, it was in my terror-I conveyed him out of the way.' Tecmessa is divided between obedience and fear, and interposes an excuse. The particles, καὶ μὴν.. γε, call attention to something which tends to limit or delay compliance. 'Why, so I can, Sir, but-' (Othello, 3. 4). Cp. Ο. Τ. 749, καὶ μὴν ὀκνῶ μέν: infr. 539.
532. mvp-comment-362-1 By using the general word κακοῖσιν, Ajax avoids specifying the evil, which is too manifest. τί μοι λέγεις;] 'What mean you, pray?' Cp. O. T. 954, τί μοι λέγει; μοι here expresses impatience.
533. mvp-comment-363-1 Tecmessa cannot withhold the truth from Ajax. Cp. supr. 315.
534. mvp-comment-364-1 'That truly would have been in character with my destiny.' The descriptive genitive (= πρὸς δαίμονος τουμοῦ) takes the place of the more usual dative after the participle. Cp. Plat. Polit. 271 Ε, τῆς τοιαύτης .. κατακοσμήσεως ἑπόμενα.
535. mvp-comment-365-1 'Well, my watchfulness did that service at any rate.' Join τοῦτο with ἀρκέσαι, ἱ.ε. τὸ μὴ θανεῖν σφε.
536. mvp-comment-366-1 ἐπῄνεσ'] For this use of the aorist, see Essay on L. § 32, 6. p. 55. Ajax still speaks as a master to a slave, but he feels to the full extent the service rendered in saving the life of his son.
537. mvp-comment-367-1 Tecmessa remains irresolute, till, in 540, Ajax' anger begins to rise.
540. mvp-comment-368-1 παρουσίαν ἔχειν = παρεῖναι. So in Ant. 237, ἔχεις ἀθυμίαν = ἀθυμεῖς, and supr. 139, ὅκνον ἔχω = ὀκνῶ.
541. mvp-comment-369-1 προσπόλων] For this partitive genitive, see Essay on L. § 10. p. 15.
542. mvp-comment-370-1 ὅσπερ κυρεῖς] These words indicate that the child cannot yet go alone.
543. mvp-comment-371-1 ἕρποντι] Sc. τῷ προσπόλῳ, i.e. 'Does he come when you speak?' Essay on L. § 42. p. 80 β. ἢ λελειμμένῳ λόγων] 'Or do your words not reach to him?'
545. mvp-comment-372-1 αἶρε δεῦρο] «Lift him hither.' Said to the attendant who brings in the child, and is to hand him to Ajax over the carcases of the sheep, etc. ταρβήσει γὰρ οὔ] Essay on L. § 41. p. 78 γ.
546. mvp-comment-373-1 For the late position of που, see Essay on L. § 26. p. 44. It is occasioned by the energy with which the emphatic words ταρβήσει.. οὗ are brought into prominence. Dindorf would read τοῦτόν γε, supposing the whole line to be an interpolation. But this is gratuitous, and the excision of the line leaves a sensible gap in the sense.
547. mvp-comment-374-1 δικαίως] 'Truly;' i. e. 'in a manner rightly answering to the description.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 853, φανεί δικαίως ὀρθών: Trach. 1158, φανεῖς ὁποῖος ὢν ἀνὴρ ἐμὸς καλεῖ. In this speech, as well as supr. 487 foll., there is a resemblance to the sixth Iliad (see esp. ll. 476-481).
548. mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλά opposes what follows (though not in strict logic) to the preceding negative. ὠμοῖς .. ἐν νόμοις πατρὸς .. πωλοδαμνεῖν] Το train him, like a young colt, in his father's rugged ways.' For ὠμοῖς, cp. supr. 205, ὠμοκρατής, and note. And for νόμοις, Ant. 191, τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ' αὔξω πόλιν. Essay on L. § 47. p. 88.
549. mvp-comment-376-1 κἀξομοιοῦσθαι φύσιν] ‘And that he should have his nature framed by mine.' For the change of subject, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65 d.
552. mvp-comment-377-1 καὶ νῦν] · Even now, before your lot in life has been determined for good or evil.'
553. mvp-comment-378-1 'That you have no perception of this misery.'
554. mvp-comment-379-1 This line, although quite possibly Sophoclean, has the appearance of a marginal quotation rather than of an integral portion of the text of this passage. It is probably from some lost play, and should be placed amongst the fragments of Greek tragic poetry.
556-557. mvp-comment-380-1 δεῖ σ᾽ ὅπως .. δείξεις] «You must find some way of showing.' The same construction recurs in Phil. 55, τὴν Φιλοκτήτου σε δεῖ | ψυχὴν ὅπως λόγοισιν ἐκκλέψεις λέγων.
557. mvp-comment-381-1 ἐν ἐχθροῖς] For the use of ἐν, cp supr. 366, and note.
558. mvp-comment-382-1 κούφοις πνεύμασιν βόσκου] 'Be nourished by gentle breezes,' like a sapling in a sheltered spot. Plants were supposed to feed upon the air. Dio Chrys. Orat. 12, 30 (quoted by Lobeck), τρεφόμενοι τῇ διηνεκεῖ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιρροῇ, ἀέρα ὑγρὸν ἕλκοντες, ὥστε νήπιοι παῖδες. Cp. Trach. 144 foll. τὸ γὰρ νέαζον ἐν τοιοῖσδε βόσκεται | χώροισιν, κ.τ.λ.
559. mvp-comment-383-1 χαρμονήν is accus. in apposition. Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 d.
562. mvp-comment-384-1 τοῖον, κ.τ.λ.] Essay on L. § 22. p. 36. 3. The absence of the demonstrative ending ( τοιόνδε or τοιοῦτον) may arise from the fact that Teucer is absent, and that Ajax is speaking of the future.
562. mvp-comment-384-2 ἀμφί σοι] Τo protect thee.' ἀμφί as in ἀμφιβαίνειν, etc.
563. mvp-comment-385-1 τροφῆς ἄοκνον] 'Unfaltering in care for thee.' τροφῆς is gen. of respect. Essay on L. § 9. p. 13, 3. ἔμπα κεἰ] ἔμπα does not occur elsewhere in Attic Greek. Cp. Pind. N. 4. 58, ἔμπα, καί περ ἔχει, κ.τ.λ.
564. mvp-comment-386-1 τηλωπός] 'Far away.' The latter part of the compound is subordinated. οἰχνεῖ] 'He is wandering.' οἰχνέω, as a derivative of οἴχομαι, seems to have a frequentative force. θήραν ἔχων] · Engaged in pursuit.' A periphrasis like ἔχομεν στοναχάς, supr. 203.
565. mvp-comment-387-1 Confident in the return of Teucer, Ajax bids his comrades give this charge to him. They recall the fact afterwards, l. 990. He also urges them to do their part, l. 566.
566. mvp-comment-388-1 κοινήν] i.e. 'As well as to him.'
569. mvp-comment-389-1 Ἐριβοíą λέγω] Sc ὅπως δείξει. This has been unnecessarily altered to Ἐριβοίαν λέγω. Ajax dwells affectionately on his mother's name. Eurysaces is to honour her, and not Hesione. Cp. Pind. Isthm. 5 (6). 65, παῖδα θρασὺν ἐξ Εριβοίας.
571. mvp-comment-390-1 μέχρις οὐ, or μέχρι οὗ, occurs in Hdt. 1. 180; 2. 19, where the phrase has the force of a single word. This may suggest a possible excuse for the appearance of a divided anapaest, which has caused the rejection of the line in some edd. It may possibly have been interpolated or quoted ( cp. supr. 554) to supplement the vague use of εἰσαεί. But the words are impressive, and the alleged flaw may be remedied by reading ἕως or ἔστ᾽ ἄν for μέχρις οὗ.
572. mvp-comment-391-1 ἀγωνάρχαι] 'Presidents of contest,' such as the Atreidae had been.
573. mvp-comment-392-1 θήσουσ'] Sc. ὡς ἆθλα. The future follows ὅπως, supr. 567. ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμός] On this position of the possessive pronoun, see Essay on L. § 23. p. 37.
574. mvp-comment-393-1 αὐτό] The pronoun anticipates σάκος, which, as the most important piece of armour, is contained in τεύχη. For similar uses of αὐτός, cp. Plat. Soph. 256 D, ὁμολογήσαντες αὐτὰ εἶναι πέντε: 263 Ε, καὶ μὴν ἐν λόγοις αὐτὸ ἴσμεν ὅν. ἐπώνυμον] · Whence thou art named.'
575-576. mvp-comment-394-1 The epithet shows that the πόρπαξ was not of metal, but of embroidered leather. Cp. Eur. Tro. 1196, ὡς ἡδὺς ἐν πόρπακι σὸς κεῖται τύπος.
577. mvp-comment-395-1 κοινά may be either (1) adverbial. as in Ant. 546, μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά, or (2) predicative, agreeing with τεύχη, probably the latter (2).
579. mvp-comment-396-1 ἐπισκήνους] 'Before the tent,' = ἐπὶ σκηναῖς, supr. 3, and so 'in public.'
580. mvp-comment-397-1 φιλοίκτιστον] i.e. φιλοῦν τὸ οἰκτίζεσθαι, in the sense of inviting commiseration. 'A woman is a very tearful creature.'
581. mvp-comment-398-1 'To whine faint charms over a wound that cries out for the knife.' The desiderative, = τομὴν αἰτοῦντι, here implies the passive meaning of the verbal noun. For the use of charms in assisting surgery, cp. Od. 19. 456-8, ὠτειλὴν δ' Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἀντιθέσιο, | δῆσαν ἐπισταμένως· ἐπαοιδῇ δ᾽ αἷμα κελαινὸν | ἔσχεθον· αἶψα δ' ἵκοντο φίλου πρὸς δώματα πατρός.
583. mvp-comment-399-1 τήνδε τὴν προθυμίαν] ‘This earnest haste,' viz. the impatience of Ajax to be alone. Cp. supr. πύκαζε θάσσον.
586. mvp-comment-400-1 μὴ κρίνε] 'Interrogate not.' Sc. με. Cp. Ant. 399 and note. σωφρονεῖν καλόν) 'Discretion is the better part.' One of the gruff maxims ( βαῖ, ἀεὶ δ᾽ ὑμνούμενα, supr. 292) with which Ajax checks the importunity of Tecmessa's affection. Cp. Il. 6. 490, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς οἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σ᾽ αὐτῆς ἔργα κόμιζε.
587. mvp-comment-401-1 καί σε] The conjunction here has a strong pleading force. 'Nay, I entreat thee,' etc. For a somewhat similar transition with καί, cp. supr. 11, καί σ᾽ οὐδὲν εἴσω τῆσδε, κ.τ.λ.
588. mvp-comment-402-1 προδοὺς .. γένῃ] 'Be guilty of forsaking us.' Phil. 773, μὴ σαυτόν θ' ἅμα | κἄμ', ὄντα σαυτοῦ πρόστροπον, κτείνας γένῃ.
589. mvp-comment-403-1 ἄγαν γε λυπεῖς] 'You vex me exceedingly.' These words in Ajax, as in Creon, Ant. 573, show that his feelings are touched more deeply than he chooses to avow. ἐγὼ θεοῖς .. ἔτι] 'I am no longer bound to serve the gods in aught.' If the gods have cast Ajax off, then he 'owes them no subscription.' The position of the words ἐγὼ θεοῖς οὐδέν is very emphatic. Essay on L. § 41. p. 78. ἀρκεῖν, in the sense of praestare, governs an accusative here, as supr. 439,535.
593. mvp-comment-404-1 ξυνέρξετε] 'Shut us in.' This is said to the attendants ( supr. 544). They close the doors on Ajax, who is drawn in by the reversed ἐκκύκλημα. Tecmessa and Eurysaces, perhaps, remain upon the stage.
595. mvp-comment-405-1 ἄρτι] 'At this moment, of all others. Now all of a sudden.'
596. mvp-comment-406-1 While Ajax within the tent is silently whetting his sword ( infr. 820), the chorus express their longing for Salamis, his home and theirs, and their sorrow for the condition of their lord. 'What grief the news will cause to Telamon and Eriboea!' In this ode, the first stasimon, iambic, glyconic, and trochaic rhythms are combined...
596. mvp-comment-406-2 ὦ κλεινά] By an anachronism like that noticed in O. C. 58, ἔρεισμ' ᾿Αθηνῶν, the glory of Salamis is anticipated. Cp. also infr. 861, and note. In Hdt. 7. 143, Themistocles argues from the words ὦ θείη Σάλαμις, in the Pythian response, that the Athenians were to be victorious there.
596-597. mvp-comment-407-1 σὺ . . ναίεις] «Thou, I know, remainest.' που] The indefinite word is pathetically used of what they imagine but may not see. ἁλίπλακτος] There is little doubt of the propriety of this reading. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 307, θαλασσόπληκτον νῆσον Αίαντος. Yet ἁλίπλαγκτος might possibly mean 'wandered round by the billow.'
599. mvp-comment-408-1 The inhabitants of Salamis, which lay off Piraeus and in the 'cheer and comfort' of Athenian eyes, might well feel as if they were observed of all observers, and would have a still deeper feeling of pride and patriotism when, from 480 B.C. onwards, their native place became the eye of the world. περίφαντος may then be taken to imply the renown as well as the conspicuous position of the island.
600. mvp-comment-409-1 παλαιὸς ἀφ᾽ οὐ χρόνος] « Since many a long day.' This phrase takes the place of an adverb with εὐνῶμαι, or whatever is the principal verb.
601. mvp-comment-410-1 †Ἰδαίᾳ μίμνων λειμώνια †ποίᾳ] The manifest corruption in these words seems to be incurable. Neither Hermann's Ἰδαῖα μίμνω λειμώνι᾽ ἄποινα ('Ι wait for my reward in Trojan meadows'), nor Bergk's Ἰδῷδι μίμνω χειμῶνι πόᾳ τε ('I abide winter and summer in the Trojan land'), can be admitted as probable. Mr. Paley, adopting λειμώνι᾽ ἔπαυλα from Seyffert, changes εὐνύμαι to ἐνναίων. Without dogmatizing on a point of great uncertainty, I would propose Ἰδαῖα μίμνων λειμώνι᾿ *ὕπαιθρα, *μηνῶν (Herm.) ἀνάριθμος αἰὲν *εὐνῶμαι (Bergk), 'Abiding out-door hardships in moist Trojan fields, I make my bed there, months without number.' ποίᾳ may be due to the association of λειμώνια, and a further association may have converted μηνῶν into μήλων. The metre a' 4. 5 is then the same as in ß' 1, 2. A similar feeling is more fully expressed infr. 1185-1210. Cp. especially ll. 1206-10, κεῖμαι δ' ἀμέριμνος οὕτως, | ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις | τεγγόμενος κόμας, | λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας. In both places the chorus complain at once of irksome exposure and of a life of inaction. Cp. also Aesch. Agamemnon, ll. 558 foll., τὰ δ' αὐτε χέρσῳ καὶ προσῆν πλέον στύγος εὐναὶ γὰρ ἦσαν δαΐων πρὸς τείχεσιν. | ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δὲ κἀπὸ γῆς λειμώνιαι | δρόσοι κατεψέκαζον, ἔμπεδον σίνος | ἐσθημάτων, τιθέντες ἔνθηρον τρίχα. The Trojan meadows are contrasted with the rocky ground of Salamis. Cp. also Fr. 477, where Menelaus says contemptuously to Agamemnon, who proposes to remain at Troy, σὺ δ᾽ αὖθι μίμνων που κατ᾿ Ἰδαίαν χθόνα | ποίμνας Ὀλύμπου συναγαγὼν θυηπόλει.
604. mvp-comment-411-1 †μηλῶν. Τεὐνόμᾳ] 'I make my bed months without number.' For μηνῶν ἀνήριθμος, cp. El. 232, ἀνάριθμος ὧδε θρήνων. Hdt. 9. 3, ἡ δὲ βασιλέος αἵρεσις ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίην. ἐπιστρατηΐην δεκάμηνος ἐγένετο. The Schol. explains εὐνόμᾳ by εὐκινήτῳ ('fleeting time'), and the Triclinian MSS. have εὐνώμᾳ. For εὐνᾶσθαι, of keeping watch, cp. O. C. 1568 foll., ἀνικάτου | θηρός, ὃν ἐν πύλαισι | φασὶ πολυξέστοις | εὐνᾶσθαι.
605. mvp-comment-412-1 *πόνῳ for χρόνῳ (Martin) is a probable conjecture, as χρόνῳ is weak after παλαιὸς ἀφ᾽ οὗ χρόνος, and xp may have come from the τρ of τρυχόμενος.
606. mvp-comment-413-1 κακὰν ἐλπίδ᾽ ἔχων] ἐλπίς is not here used in the indifferent sense of an expectation; but the phrase is an oxymoron; 'a hope that is a kind of despair.'
607-608. mvp-comment-414-1 'Some day yet to win my way to Hades, the abhorred and dark.' ἀΐδηλον] · Unillumined' rather than 'destroying.' Essay on L. §§ 53. pp. 98.9.
609-611. mvp-comment-415-1 'And I have Ajax on my hands, defying treatment, fixed in the tent, where Heaven-sent madness dwells with him.'
610. mvp-comment-416-1 ἔφεδρος] 'Fixed at my side.' Ajax had remained sitting throughout the previous scene. He had rejected the solicitations of his friends, and apparently returned to his sullen inaction within the tent. Instead of being their hope and pride, he was now an irremovable burden. Cp. supr. 194 foll., ἀλλ᾽ ἄνα ἐξ ἑδράνων, κ.τ.λ. The interpretation of the ancient Scholiast, 'Ready to assail me when other evils are subdued' (an application of the technical use of ἔφεδρος with reference to contests), is untenable. μανίᾳ includes the evidence of Ajax's madness, which is still within the tent. Supr. 337, 8.
613. mvp-comment-417-1 φρενός οἰοβώτας] 'Feeding his will apart;' i. e. either (1) referring to the wilful solitary raid described by Tecmessa, supr. 285 foll.: or (2), as Prof. Jebb explains it, 'One who broods sullenly apart, as did Ajax before the outbreak of his frenzy.' Not 'feeding on his own thoughts' (L. and S.), but 'pasturing his heart on lonely paths.'
615. mvp-comment-418-1 (1) 'He has proved a mighty sorrow to his friends.' Cp. Trach. 1075, θήλυς εὕρημαι τάλας: Aesch. Pers. 743, νῦν κακῶν ἔοικε πηγὴ πᾶσιν εὑρῆσθαι φίλοις. But πένθος is not elsewhere used of a person, and it is possible that εὕρηται may have a middle signification: (2) 'He has procured a mighty sorrow for his friends.' See Veitch, Gr. Irr. V. s. v. εὑρίσκω.
617. mvp-comment-419-1 μεγίστας ἀρετᾶς] 'Evincing' (or 'proceeding from') 'supreme valour.'
620-621. mvp-comment-420-1 'Are fallen to the ground, coldly neglected by the cold, infatuate kings.' παρά is used as in παρὰ δικάσταις, etc.; L. and S. s. v. παρά, Β. ΙΙ. 3. For πίπτειν, “To come to nought,' cp. Hdt. 7. 18, οἷα ἄνθρωπος ἰδὼν ἤδη πολλά τε καὶ μεγάλα πεσόντα πρήγματα ὑπὸ ἡσσόνων.
621. mvp-comment-421-1 For the reproachful tone in μελέοις, cp. infr. 1156, ἄνολβον: Hdt. 7. 140, ὦ μέλεοι, τί καθῆσθε, κ.τ.λ.
622-623. mvp-comment-422-1 παλαιᾷ .. γήρᾳ] 'His mother sunk in years and overtaken by hoary eld.' The opposition with μέν and δέ is merely rhetorical. Not ἔντροφος, but some simpler word, such as οὖσα, is to be supplied with γήρᾳ, which is dative of circumstance. Essay on L. § 11. p. 18 c. λευκὰ δὲ γήρᾳ is a plausible but needless correction.
625-626. mvp-comment-423-1 νοσοῦντα | φρενομόρως] «Fatally afflicted in his mind.' Although the madness of Ajax is relieved, its ZZZZconsequences remain, and he is to be slain not by his madness, but for it.
625-626. mvp-comment-423-2 effects are permanent, and his despair is no less a mental affliction than his madness was.
626. mvp-comment-424-1 αἴλινον αἴλινον] This word is governed by a verb, for which ἥσει is substituted as the sentence proceeds.
627. mvp-comment-425-1 οὐδέ] 'But not.' The 'instant burst of clamour' Eriboea would make is contrasted with the sustained melodious wailing of the nightingale, to which such continuous mourning as that of Electra is fitly compared,-El. 107.
628. mvp-comment-426-1 ὄρνιθος ἀηδοῦς] Cp. Ant. 423, 4, πικρᾶς | ὄρνιθος ὀξὺν φθόγγον.
631-634. mvp-comment-427-1 χερόπληκτοι .. δοῦποι] 'Noise of smiting hands.' πλήσσειν δοῦπον, «Το make a noise in smiting' would be a legitimate cognate accusative. Hence the passive form. Essay on L. § 53. p. 98.
633. mvp-comment-428-1 ἐν.. πεσοῦνται] i. e. ἐμπεσοῦνται.
634. mvp-comment-429-1 πολιᾶς *ἄμυγμα χαίτας] Sc. ἐγγενήσεται, or some general notion resumed from the preceding verb.
635. mvp-comment-430-1 For ῞Αιδα κεύθων, cp. Il. 23. 244, εἰσόκεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼν ῎Αϊδι κεύθωμαι. Elmsley needlessly corrected γὰρ Ἅιδᾳ to παρ' Ἅιδα. ὁ νοσῶν μάταν] (1) - 'One hopelessly afflicted.' μάταν (as in O. C. 1567, πολλῶν γὰρ ἂν καὶ μάταν | πημάτων ἱκνουμένων, | πάλιν σε δαίμων δίκαιος αὔξοι) means 'with no good end.' Others take μάταν here to mean, (2) ‘idly,' i. e. 'with idle or vain imaginations;' comparing Ar. Pax 95, τί πέτει; τί μάτην οὐχ ὑγιαίνεις; Either is possible.
637-638. mvp-comment-431-1 ὃς .. ᾿Αχαιών] 'Who, by the family from which he came, was, and proved to be, the noblest of the toilworn Achaeans.' ἐκ is at once 'because of' and 'in accordance with.' ἥκων is used in a double sense: 'Come forth from his father's home,' and 'Come forth,' i. e. 'proved, as bravest.' Ср. О. Т. 1519, ἔχθιστος ἥκω. ἄριστος was found by Triclinius in an 'old' MS., but may be merely due, as Blaydes remarks, to the words of the Scholiast, ἄριστα ἥκων· λείπει γὰρ τὸ ἄριστος. Another possible reading is ἄριστα. πολυπόνων] Infr. 1186 foll.
639-640. mvp-comment-432-1 'No longer remains in his habitual frame of mind, but abides outside of it,' i.e. he is no longer in his mind, but out of his mind. For this somewhat strained oxymoron, cp. Eur. Hipp. 102, πρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἁγνὸς ὡν ἀσπάζομαι: Aesch. Pers. 756, ἔνδον αἰχμάζειν : also Ant. 773, ἔρημος ἔνθ᾽ ἂν ῇ βροτῶν στίβος, where the privative ἔρημος is equivalent to a negative.
641. mvp-comment-433-1 As his mother will utter the shrill cry of maternal agony, so his father will mourn over the dishonour of the race.
644-645. mvp-comment-434-1 'A calamity such as no life of any son of Aeacus hath ever known, but only he.' Bergk's conj., δίων Αἰακιδᾶν, has been widely received. But αἰών involves only an ordinary use of abstract for concrete, and agrees better with the figurative word ἔθρεψεν.
646. mvp-comment-435-1 If the conjecture advanced on l. 593 supr. is correct. Tecmessa and the child Eurysaces have remained on the stage in silence during the first stasimon. Ajax now unexpectedly comes forth, sword in hand, and addresses the chorus. That he dissembles with them, so far as to lead them to believe that he has abandoned his purpose of suicide, is obvious, because necessary to the situation, and is further evident on comparing 667 foll. with 835 foll., where his inmost feeling is expressed. But, just as the speech of Deianira which deceives Lichas, Trach. 436-69, contains a real indication of her character, so the studiously ambiguous words of Ajax here are the expression of an actual change of mood, -a new phase in the progress of mental recovery. The act which he contemplates is the same which he has intended from the moment of his first awakening, but he regards it in a different temper. Calm resolution has taken the place of rage, and proud submission to the inevitable that of rebellious fury. ( Cp. supr. 389.) And like Antigone, when the struggle is past, he feels the pain of parting from what has brightened life for him; he knows what is implied in leaving Tecmessa and the child. With exquisite truth as well as subtlety, Sophocles has made Ajax express his feeling and intention in words which essentially convey his true meaning, but successfully veil it from those who, if they had divined it, would have interfered. ( Supr. 329, 483). They, on the other hand, are only too readily deceived, -Tecmessa through the difficulty of believing that Ajax is hiding truth from her, and both she and the chorus through their wishes being stronger than their fears. To dissemble under any circumstances has been thought inconsistent with the native dignity of Ajax. But if this be so, it only renders the tragic contrast between his nature and his circumstances more complete. Concealment is no doubt foreign to the original bent of such a proud heroic soul. But Destiny has brought him to a point where it is inevitable, and the more so because of his first undisguised utterance, supr. 470, foll. Let a man's native character be what it will, the passion of suicide brings with it the means for its own realization. The time that Ajax has spent within the tent appears 'like an age' to him, and he begins by reflecting generally, in a meditative tone, on the changes that are wrought by Time. He wonders at his own calmness, and professes to wonder at his change of mind.
647. mvp-comment-436-1 φύει ἄδηλα] 'Rears out of darkness.' Cp. Hes. Op. 6, καὶ ἄδηλον ἀέξει. The present is used of a continual process, as in Il. 6. 147, 8, φύλλα τὰ μέν τ' ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δε θ' ὕλη | τηλεθύωσα φύει. E. on L. § 32. p. 54. ἄδηλα (sc. ὄντα) may be regarded as = ἐξ ἀδήλων (E. on L. § 38. p. 71), but also expresses the obscurity of the first beginnings and early preparations of all things. Cp. Shak. 2 Hen. IV. 3. 1, 'Things | As yet not come to life, which in their seeds | And weak beginnings lie intreasured, Such things become the hatch and brood of time.' As in supr. 476, προσθεῖσα κἀναθεῖσα, the latter part of the antithesis is most dwelt upon, viz. καὶ φανέντα κρύπτεται, ‘And buries them in himself, after they are come into being,' although the suppression of the old purpose is virtually the revelation of the new. For φανέντα, cf. Ο. C. 974, φανεὶς δύστηνος, ὡς ἐγὼ 'φάνην. On the meaning of the middle voice, see Essay on L. § 31. p. 53 (where ἑαυτήν should be ἑαυτόν-not Earth but Time), and cp. Aesch. Cho. 127, καὶ γαῖαν αὐτήν, ἢ τὰ πάντα τίκτεται ('brings forth of herself').
648. mvp-comment-437-1 ἄελπτον] An allusion to Archil. Fr. 76, χρημάτων ἄελπτον οὐδέν ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἀπώμοτον. Cp. Ant. 388, ἄναξ, βροτοῖσιν οὐδὲν ἐστ᾽ ἀπώμοτον. ἁλίσκεται] 'Is overcome.' Cp. the use of αἱρέω in Ant. 606, τὰν οὔθ᾽ ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθ' ὁ παντογήρως.
649. mvp-comment-438-1 'Even ( καί) the awe-inspiring oath and steeled resolve.' Neither men's resolutions, nor the sanctions by which they try to strengthen them, are permanent. Cp. Thuc. 3. 83, οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὁ διαλύσων οὔτε λόγος ἐχυρὸς οὔτε ὅρκος φοβερός. καί has been changed to χαί, perhaps rightly, but see Essay on L. § 21. p. 33 b.
650-651. mvp-comment-439-1 'Since even I, who then ( supr. 470 foll.) showed such awful resolve, hard as iron hardened in the surge-even I have lost my manhood's edge, being softened by this woman.' The clause with ws relates to what precedes, as in Phil. 202 foll. προὐφάνη κτύπος, φωτὸς σύντροφος ὡς τειρομένου *του. τὰ δεινά is cogn. accus.; cp. Ant. 408, πρὸς σοῦ τὰ δείν᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ἐπηπειλημένοι. Ιη βαφή there is perhaps a reminiscence of supr. 351, 2, οἷον ἄρτι κῦμα φοινίας ὑπὸ ζάλης ἀμφίδρομον κυκλεῖται. βαφῇ, an instrumental dative, depends on the idea of hardening contained in ἐκαρτέρουν. For similar datives with active verbs, cp. Ant. 335, χειμερίῳ νότῳ χωρεῖ, ibid. 589, Θρῄσσαισιν .. ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς. The abruptness of this construction goes for nothing when weighed against the absurdity of joining βαφῇ σιδηρὸς ὡς ἐθηλύνθην στόμα, 'My edge is abated, as that of iron is by the surge': although much ingenuity has been spent in defending this way of taking the words. στόμα, as Ajax intends his speech to be apprehended, can only mean 'edge,' i.e. 'resolution,' although by a mental reservation he may understand himself to mean 'my speech (only) is softened.'
652-653. mvp-comment-440-1 'I am wrung with pity at the thought of leaving her,' i.e. as he wishes to be understood, 'I cannot leave her for pity,' as he understands himself, 'I feel pity in leaving her.'
654-655. mvp-comment-441-1 πρὸς λειμώνας] ‘Τo the bathing-place in the meadow by the cliff,' i. e. where the level ground narrows towards the promontory of Rhoeteum. It is probably meant that Ajax really bathes in fresh water before his last solemn act. Cp. Eur. Alc. 159, ὕδασι ποταμίοις. . ἐλούσατ᾽.
655-656. mvp-comment-442-1 ἁγνίσας.. ἐξαλεύσωμαι] Το the chorus and Tecmessa ἁγνίσας means 'by purging away,' viz in the fresh running water; to Ajax himself, 'after washing off.' Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 2.2. 67, 'A little water clears us of this deed.'
657. mvp-comment-443-1 'And having gone to a place where I may find a place untrodden.' χώρον is first acc. of place after μολών, and secondly ἀστιβῆ χῶρον is accusative with κίχω. Essay on L. § 36. pp. 66, 7.
658. mvp-comment-444-1 τόδ' ἔγχος τούμόν] ‘This my sword.' Cp. infr. 815-22, 834,899.909. 1025, 1034. Does Ajax destroy himself with the sword with which he slew the cattle? There would be a certain plausibility in his professing an intention of burying the offending weapon ( ἔχθιστον βελῶν) out of sight. But this is nowhere distinctly indicated, and the elaborate reasons connected with Hector tend rather to show that the blade had not previously been used. It is the possession and not the employment of it that is dwelt upon as of evil omen.
658-659. mvp-comment-445-1 κρύψω.. ὀρύξας] There is again an intentional ambiguity between 'I will bury out of sight' and 'I will hide' (in my body) 'after planting' (in the earth). γαίας, 'Somewhere in earth,' a partitive genitive of place, to be resumed with ἕνθα. Essay on L. § 10. p. 15. A construction is easily obtained by supplying που, the antecedent of ἔνθα. ἔχθιστον is ambiguous between 'most hostile,' cp. infr. 817 foll., and 'most hateful.'
660. mvp-comment-446-1 These words are purposely ominous of Ajax' real intention. The imperative continues the prohibitive notion of μή in the preceding line. Cp. El. 436 foll. κρύψον νιν, ἔνθα μή ποτ᾽ εἰς εὐνὴν .. | .. πρόσεισι .. ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν θάνῃ | κειμήλι᾿ αὐτῇ . . σωζέσθω.
661. mvp-comment-447-1 The vivid χειρί brings before us the scene of the exchange described by Teucer infr. 1029 foll.
665. mvp-comment-448-1 Cp. Eur. Med. 618, κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ᾽ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει.
666. mvp-comment-449-1 τοιγάρ] «Therefore,' since I am thus out of favour and pursued by divine displeasure, supr. 656, 663.
667. mvp-comment-450-1 Ajax understands in his own mind, 'I will not submit to them except in death.' Cp. Ant. 926, παθόντες ἂν ξυγγνοῖμεν ἡμαρτηκότες.
668. mvp-comment-451-1 τί μή;] Cp. Aesch. Ag. 672, λέγουσιν ἡμᾶς ὡς ὀλωλότας· τί μή; The v. r. τιμῆ (V Pal., i.e. τιμῇ), suggested by τιμαῖς in infr. 670, is a curious instance of the uncertainty that crept in when the quantities of syllables were forgotten.
669. mvp-comment-452-1 τὰ δεινὰ καὶ τὰ καρτερώτατα] 'Things dread and masterful,' such as Winter, Night, and Tempest: τὰ δεινά as in Ant. 334, πολλὰ τὰ δεινά. For the thought, cp. esp. Heraclitus, Fragm. 29 (ed. Bywater), ἥλιος οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται μέτρα· εἰ δὲ μή, ἐρινύες μιν δίκης ἐπίκουροι ἐξευρήσουσι: Plat. Rep. 6. 500 C, εἰς τεταγμένα ἄττα καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἀεὶ ἔχοντα ὁρῶντας καὶ θεωμένους οὔτ᾽ ἀδικοῦντα οὔτ᾽ ἀδικούμενα ὑπ᾿ ἀλλήλων, κόσμῳ δὲ πάντα καὶ κατὰ λόγον ἔχοντα, ταῦτα μιμεῖσθαι. As Schndw. observes, these common-places from Ajax' lips have a peculiarly ironical significance.
670. mvp-comment-453-1 τιμαῖς] «Το authority:' literally, 'to official rank.' For τιμή of an official appointment, cp. Hdt. 7. 36, οἶσι προσεκέετο αὕτη ἡ ἄχαρις τιμή: Ar. Pol. 3. 10, 4, τιμὰς λέγομεν τὰς ἀρχάς. For τοῦτο μέν with only δé to follow, cp. Ο. C. 440, τοῦτο μὲν.. οἱ δ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖν, κ.τ.λ. νιφοστιβεῖς | χειμῶνες] «The wintry months whose track is marked with snow.' This (= νιφόεντας ἔχων τοὺς στίβους) agrees better with the meaning of other compounds such as χθονοστιβής (O.T. 301), and with the personification in ἐκχωροῦσιν, than · 'piled with snows' (L. and S.)-'Winter withdraws his snowy footsteps.'
672. mvp-comment-454-1 νυκτὸς αἰανὴς κύκλος] 'The weary round of Night,' which like other periods of time, is imagined as a moving sphere. Cp. ἐνιαυτοῦ κύκλον, Eur. Or. 1645. αἰανής] Here, as in l. 8, εὔρινος, it is doubted whether the adj. is in the nominative or genitive, αἰανής or αἰανῆς. Both forms ( αἰανής, -és and aἰανός, -ή, -όν), occur in tragedy, and the balance of the sentence is rather in favour of the nominative. See Essay on L. § 42. p. 80. αἰανής, if derived from aleí, has also a false association from aủaî. See Essay on L. § 54. p. 99.
673. mvp-comment-455-1 'For Day with his white steeds ( λευκόπωλος ἡμέρα, Aesch. Pers. 386) to make his light arise.' (L. and S. s. v. φλέγω, Α. ⅱ.)
674. mvp-comment-456-1 ἐκοίμισε] 'Allows to rest.' Gnomic aorist. As, in δειλίαν ἀρεῖς, supr. 75, a passive state is expressed actively (Essay on L. § 30. p. 52), so here a negative or privative act is conceived as positive. Cp. λύει, infr. 676. This helps the vividness of the personification. As is observed by Schndw. and G. Wolff, contrary powers are naturally assigned to the same divine being. Thus Aeolus in Od. 10. 21 is ταμίης ἀνέμων. ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδ᾽ ὀρνύμεν ὅν κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσιν, and Horace says of the South wind, ' quo non arbiter Hadriae major, tollere seu ponere vult freta.' In Il. 8. 486. the light of the setting sun is described as ἕλκον νύκτα μέλαιναν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
675. mvp-comment-457-1 ἐν δ'] 'And moreover.' Sleep is not originally thought of as amongst the 'dread and masterful powers,' but is now added to the list.
678. mvp-comment-458-1 * ἐγῷδα] ‘I am sure of it'-(that I shall know how to act with moderation). The common reading, ἐγὼ δ' ἐπίσταμαι γάρ-can only be justified by supposing ἡμεῖς in 677 to mean mankind in general, in which case the opposition with dé is possible, though not very clear. But with μαθησόμεσθα preceding (l. 667), ἡμεῖς (unless with further explanation, as in supr. 125) must be equivalent to ἐγώ. And the use of δὲ .. γάρ without apodosis is not supported by Aesch. Cho. 66, ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἀναγκὰν γὰρ ἀμφίπτολιν, κ.τ.λ., which is the nearest parallel. (For a superfluous ἐγώ with δé in apodosi, cp. Hdt. 4. 99, ὃς δὲ.. μὴ παραπέπλωκε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλλως δηλώσω.) Porson's conjecture, which is here received, requires a very slight alteration, ῶι for ὡ. ἐγῷδα is idiomatic, and the form of asseveration suits with the dissembling nature of the speech. ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως] ‘For I have lately learnt '-Ajax continues the vein of commonplace, with which his real feelings are interwoven. In his own heart he means that the judgment of the arms has taught him the hollowness of friendship. But by putting the other side of the antithesis foremost he veils this sentiment under the general maxim which counsels moderation in love and hatred- ἀθάνατον ἔχθραν μὴ φύλασσε, θνητὸς ὤν.
680. mvp-comment-459-1 In expressing his real feeling, Ajax passes out of the impersonal mode of speaking.
682. mvp-comment-460-1 Ср. О. С. 612, 3, καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτόν, κ.τ.λ.
682. mvp-comment-460-2 τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ..] He recollects his cue, and again generalizes. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 838-840, εἰδὼς λέγοιμ' ἄν, εὐ γὰρ ἐξεπίσταμαι, | ὁμιλίας κάτοπτρον, εἴδωλον σκιᾶς, | δοκοῦντας εἶναι κάρτα πρευμενεῖς ἐμοί.
684. mvp-comment-461-1 ἀμφὶ .. τούτοισιν] 'For what concerns this, viz. my relation to the Atreidae, 'all shall go well.' Tecmessa need not fear lest the pride of Ajax should lead him into farther trouble.
685-686. mvp-comment-462-1 εἴσω . . κέαρ] εἴσω ἐλθοῦσα εὔχου θεοῖς τελεῖσθαι διὰ τέλους (ἐκεῖνα) ὧν τὸ ἐμὸν κέαρ ἐpᾷ. Tecmessa will pray that Ajax may escape from the wrath of Athena. In doing so she will unconsciously pray for the consummation of his present desires in death. The solemn phrase διὰ τέλους .. τελεῖσθαι is prompted by the latter feeling.
687-688. mvp-comment-463-1 ταὐτὰ τῇδέ μοι τάδε | τιμᾶτε] 'Honour these my wishes equally with her.' ταὐτά, an adverbial accusative, like κοινά in Ant. 546, μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά. The eightfold alliteration with τ in these two lines gives the effect of suppressed earnestness.
689. mvp-comment-464-1 In this veiled manner Ajax conveys his last request to Teucer. Cp. supr. 567, infr. 827, 8, 990, 1.
690. mvp-comment-465-1 The intentional vagueness, by which Ajax conceals his purpose from Tecmessa and the chorus, has an impressive solemnity for the spectator.
691. mvp-comment-466-1 τάχ᾽ ἂν.. ἴσως] ‘Ere long, methinks.'
692. mvp-comment-467-1 σεσωσμένον] His hearers understand, 'Freed from further evil,' as having appeased the gods and submitted to the Atreidae: to himself he means, 'Having done with evils, because no trouble can affect the dead.' Exit Ajax towards the country. Tecmessa and the child withdraw into the hut. The proscenium is vacant.
693-718. mvp-comment-468-1 The following ode is the clearest instance in Sophocles of the hyporchema, or song accompanied with dancing. In substance it may be compared with Trach. 205-224, Ο. Τ. 1086-1109, Ant. 1115-1154. The metrical scheme of στρ. and ἀντ. is as follows:...
693. mvp-comment-469-1 'My heart is thrilled with a new hope, and mounts on wings of joy.' For the aorist (of the immediate past), see Essay on L. § 32. p. 55. ἔρως is here used of a sudden and intense hope. Cp. Ant. 617, πολλοῖς δ᾽ ἀπάτα κουφονόων ἐρώτων (sc. & .. ἐλπίς).
695. mvp-comment-470-1 Pan is associated both with Marathon and Salamis, where Psyttaleia was his haunt according to Aeschylus: Pers. 448, ἣν ὁ φιλόχορος | Πὰν ἐμβατεύει. ἁλίπλαγκτε] As in the invocation to Sleep in Phil. 828, εὐαὲς . . ἔλθοις, the attribute which is part of the prayer is put in the vocative. 'Come, roving over the sea, leaving the snow-smitten ridges of Cyllene.' Cyllene is clearly visible from the Acropolis, and in spring and early summer (1874) is covered with snow. The side it presents to Athens is long and precipitous.
697. mvp-comment-471-1 θεῶν χοροποί᾽ ἄναξ] ( θεων). 'Thou lord, who of the gods art he that frames the dance.' For this partitive genitive, cp. O. C. 868, 9, θεῶν | ὁ πάντα λεύσσων ἥλιος. ὅπως μοι .. ξυνὼν ἰάψεις] «Το fling into... I pray thee, along with me.' μοι is dativus ethicus, but to be resumed with ξυνών.
698. mvp-comment-472-1 Νύσια Κνώσσια] Nysa, whether imagined as in Euboea or elsewhere, and Cnossus in Crete, were associated with the legend of Dionysus. Cp. the Cnossian dancing ground of Ariadne in Il. 18. 591, οἷον ποτ᾿ ἐνὶ Κνωσῷ εὐρείῃ | Δαίδαλος ἤσκησεν καλλιπλοκάμῳ ᾿Αριάδνῃ. 'Wilde Tänze fänden zu Ehren Dionys zu Nysa Statt, und an der Theodaisien Anfangs April zu Knossos auf Kreta' (G. Wolff). αὐτοδαῆ] 'Spontaneous,' said with reference to Pan, 'which no man hath taught thee,' cp. Aesch. Prom. 301, αὐτόκτιτ᾽ ἄντρα, 'caves formed by thyself' (said to Oceanus).
700. mvp-comment-473-1 ἰάπτειν = 'to set in sudden and swift motion.'
703. mvp-comment-474-1 πελαγέων] πελαγεῶν. For the Icarian sea, cp. Hdt. 6. 95, 6.
704. mvp-comment-475-1 εὔγνωστος] 'Easy to be known;' i. e. ἐναργής, in his proper, unmistakable form: 'Nunquam humeris positurus arcum, | Qui rore puro Castaliae lavit | Crines solutos, qui Lyciae tenet | Dumeta natalemque silvam, | Delius et Patareus Apollo' (Hor. Carm. 3. 4. 60). Cp. Trach. 207, τὸν εὐφαρέτραν.
706. mvp-comment-476-1 (1) The dangerous condition of Ajax was like a dark veil upon the eyes of the Salaminians, saddening for them even the light of day. ('A web is woven across the sky,' Tennyson, In Memoriam.) Cp. especially supr. 139, 140, 200. 'Now the cruel power has withdrawn the dreadful sorrow that oppressed our eyes.' Ares, as in O. T. 189, is the god of destruction, with an association from the violent rage in which Ajax' troubles began. Or (2) the Salaminians, like Tecmessa, supr. 269, identify themselves with Ajax, from whose eyes ( supr. 51, 447) the distraction caused by his vehement rage is now removed. For the expression in either case, cp. supr. 674 and note: Il. 13. 444, ἔνθα δ᾽ ἔπειτ᾿ ἀφίει μένος όβριμος Άρης.
708. mvp-comment-477-1 (1) 'Now, Zeus, thou shalt bring near bright genial day to our swift sea-going ships.' The meaning is half figurative, half literal. It is still morning ( καὶ ἀέξεται ἱερὸν ἦμαρ), and the Salaminians feel that the return of day-light is in keeping with the return of cheerfulness within them. For the figurative meaning, cp. especially Aesch. Cho. 961, 972, πάρα τὸ φῶς ἰδεῖν: Pers. 301. Otherwise, (2) πελάσαι may be intransitive, 'Light shall come near the ships,' in which case ὦ Zeῦ is an ejaculation. For this, cp. Phil. 400, ἰὼ μάκαιρα, κ.τ.λ.
711-712. mvp-comment-478-1 The Chorus in their delight at the pious intentions expressed by Ajax, supr. 655, 6, 666, 7, describe them in exaggerated language, and speak of them as already performed.
714. mvp-comment-479-1 These words are an echo of Ajax' reflection, supr. ll. 646, 7. The words τε καὶ φλέγει, which are added in the MSS., are not improbable in themselves. Cp. supr. 476 and note. But there is nothing to correspond to them in the strophe, and the metre as it stands in the text is more probable than it would be with the addition of 10-2. The interpolation may be accounted for by supposing a marginal quotation, as in 554 supr.
715. mvp-comment-480-1 ἐξ ἀέλπτων] 'When we had despaired.' Cp. supr. 648.
716. mvp-comment-481-1 μετανεγνώσθη] 'Has been converted.' Ajax, supr. 651, attributed the change in himself to the persuasion of Tecmessa.
717. mvp-comment-482-1 θυμῶν] This reading, which occurs in some MSS., is nearer to θυμόν, the reading of L, than the conj. θυμοῦ T', which has been commonly adopted. For the poetical plural, 'outbursts of wrath,' cp. Trach. 882, τίνες νόσοι; and see Essay on L. § 20. p. 30. The plural of θυμός occurs in Plat. Phil. 40 E: Legg. 11. 934 Α, ὁ δὲ .. ἐν φόβοις δειλίας, ἡ τισιν ἐπιθυμίαις ἡ φθόνοις ἢ θυμοῖς δυσιάτοις γιγνόμενος. ( νεικέων.)
719. mvp-comment-483-1 The proscenium has been vacant during the preceding ode. A single figure is now seen approaching from the opposite direction to that in which Ajax went forth. The man proves to be Teucer's forerunner. The effect of the following scene is twofold. On the one hand, the Chorus and Tecmessa are roused from their security, and go anxiously in search of Ajax. We are thus made aware that the crisis of the drama is approaching. But, on the other hand, the bearing of the prophet to Teucer, as reported by the messenger, and the tenor of his prophecy, assure the spectator that the anger of Athena against Ajax is not lasting, and hold forth a vague promise of final peace. ἄνδρες φίλοι] The messenger, who is one of Teucer's men, thus assures the mariners of his continued friendship in their master's hour of need. τὸ πρῶτον stands in apposition with the sentence, Τεύκρος παρέστι, which, as Hermann says, must be held as equivalent to Teῦκρον παρεῖναι. Ср. О. Т. 1234, 5, ὁ μὲν τάχιστος τῶν λόγων εἰπεῖν τε καὶ | μαθεῖν, τέθνηκε θεῖον Ἰοκάστης κάρα. The abruptness of this gives some colour to Musgrave's conjecture, ἄνδρες, φίλον τὸ πρῶτον ἀγγεῖλαι θέλω.
724-725. mvp-comment-484-1 'For when they knew him from afar off as he approached, they surrounded him.' Cp. infr. 1046, μαθεῖν γὰρ ἐγγὺς ὧν οὐ δυσπετής.
726. mvp-comment-485-1 κἀπιβουλευτοῦ στρατοῦ] 'And who was guilty of plotting against the army.' στρατοῦ is genitive of the object.
727. mvp-comment-486-1 ὡς connects οὐκ ἀρκέσοι, κ.τ.λ. with ἤρασσον, the clause τὸν .. ἀποκαλοῦντες being parenthetical. They said, ὦ τοῦ μανέντος .. ξύναιμε, οὐκ ἀρκέσεις, κ.τ.λ. The verb ἀρκεῖν is used absolutely in the original sense of 'to ward off danger,' and this uncommon use is supplemented by the epexegetic clause.
730. mvp-comment-487-1 διεπεραιώθη] Lit. 'were passed from either side,' ie. 'crossed blades.' Not merely 'were unsheathed.'
731. mvp-comment-488-1 δραμοῦσα τοῦ προσωτάτω] 'When it had run to an extreme.' The partitive genitive is merely idiomatic, and does not limit the force of the expression. Essay on L. § 10. p. 16 (bis).
732. mvp-comment-489-1 'Through elders interposing with their words.' For ev instrumental, see Essay on L. § 19. p. 28, and cp. Trach. 887, στονόεντος ἐν τομᾷ σιδάρου.
733. mvp-comment-490-1 'Where is our Ajax?' ἡμίν is dative of the person interested. Ср. supr. 332, ἡμῖν τὸν ἄνδρα διαπεφοιβάσθαι κακοίς.
734. mvp-comment-491-1 τοῖς κυρίοις] 'Το those principally concerned.' Cp. Aesch. Cho. 688, 9, εἰ δὲ τυγχάνω | τοῖς κυρίοισι καὶ προσήκουσιν λέγων, | οὐκ οἶδα.
735-736. mvp-comment-492-1 νέας .. τρόποις] 'Having changed his purpose in unison with his change of mood.' The Chorus believe that Ajax, having learnt submission, is gone forth to purify himself in the fresh water at the corner of the bay. Supr. 654 foll.
737. mvp-comment-493-1 ἰοὺ ἰού] The messenger perceives that the fate of Ajax is sealed, and raises the same cry of horror that Oedipus utters (O. T. 1182) when he discovers the truth.
738. mvp-comment-494-1 βραδείαν is predicative and adverbial,= 'too late.' Cp. the use of πικρός, e.g. infr. 1239.
740. mvp-comment-495-1 'And what is there lacking to the fulfilment of the present need?' χρείας τῆσδ', 'the need implied in Teucer's sending you, τήνδε τὴν ὁδόν, supr. 738.
743. mvp-comment-496-1 τοι] 'We can tell you.' τοι here expresses the consciousness of contributing pertinent information.
743-744. mvp-comment-497-1 πρὸς τὸ κέρδιστον.. γνώμης] 'His thoughts having taken the happiest turn.' For the genitive, cp. Trach. 705, ποῖ γνώμης πέσω; Ant. 42, ποῦ γνώμης ποτ' εἶ;
744. mvp-comment-498-1 χόλου] 'In respect of' (lit. 'from') 'their wrath.'
746. mvp-comment-499-1 The name of Calchas, and the thought of his foreknowledge, strike the hearers with an expectant awe.
748. mvp-comment-500-1 καὶ παρὼν ἐτύγχανον] 'For I was there to hear and see.' An expansion of παρών, the coordinate for the participial construction. See Essay on L. § 36. p. 68; also § 32. p. 55.
749. mvp-comment-501-1 Calchas, who alone knows the future, is not carried away by the rage which possesses the host, but simply warns Teucer in a friendly tone that the wrath of the gods is against Ajax for this one day. This attitude of the prophet is emphasized by the pleonastic iteration, ἐκ. κύκλου μεταστὰς οἷος .. δίχα, and by the periphrasis in l. 753. συνέδρου . . κύκλου] 'The circle of the lords who sate in council,' with the ἀγορά of the Achaeans gathered round.
751-752. mvp-comment-502-1 Join δεξιὰν θείς.
752. mvp-comment-503-1 παντοίᾳ τέχνῃ] 'By all manner of means:' to be joined with εἶρξαι.
753. mvp-comment-504-1 κατ᾿ ἡμαρ.. τόδε] 'For the day whose light is with us now and here,' i. e. to-day.
754. mvp-comment-505-1 ἀφέντα agrees with Τεύκρον, the subject of ἐᾶν.
756. mvp-comment-506-1 τῇδε θήμέρᾳ is more probable, because simpler, than τῇδ' ἔθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ.
757. mvp-comment-507-1 ὡς ἔφη λέγων] · As his words declared.' The messenger is careful to make it clear that the assertion is the prophet's, and not his own. Cp. Creon in Ο. Τ. 110, ἐν τῇδ᾽ ἔφασκε γῇ. For this periphrasis, cp. Hdt. 1. 118, τῷ τε γὰρ πεποιημένῳ, ἔφη λέγων, ἐς τὸν παῖδα τοῦτον ἔκαμνον μεγάλως, κ.τ.λ. Abicht observes that it is commonly used, as here, in passing to direct speech from indirect.
758. mvp-comment-508-1 τὰ.. περισσὰ κἀνόνητα σώματα] 'Men grown too great to be of profit.' Cp. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 1. 2. 149, 50, 'Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, | That he is grown so great?' Ib. I. 1. 77, 8, 'These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing, | Will make him fly an ordinary pitch.'