95-131.
mvp-comment-65-1
This short dialogue is carefully constructed with a view to the plot. Oedipus had heard of Laius and of his death, but (as he imagines) certainly never saw him and never thought of inquiring into the circumstances of his murder. (An excuse for this improbability is suggested afterwards in ll. 220-221, οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακράν, κ.τ.λ.) One witness of the deed remains, but he being overcome with fear could only give even at the time a confused account of an assault by a band of robbers.
102.
mvp-comment-72-1
ποίου γὰρ ἀνδρός γάρ asks for explanation.
And who is the man to whom he shows us that this misfortune happened? τῇδε has been defended, but τήνδε is more idiomatic. τήνδε τύχην, sc. τὸν φόνον.
102.
mvp-comment-72-2
μηνύει Sc. ὁ θεός.
105.
mvp-comment-73-1
οὐ γὰρ εἰσεῖδόν γέ πω
By hearsay, for I certainly never saw him.
105.
mvp-comment-73-2
που, which appears in several MSS, would imply uncertainty, and would therefore weakly express the security of Oedipus. The literal meaning of οὔπω is not to be pressed. From
not yet it has passed into meaning simply
never. Cp. Hdt. 3. 127, ὃς ὠφέλησε μέν κω Πέρσας οὐδέν : 4. 81, ὃς δὲ μὴ εἶδέ κω 160, τούτῳ γὰρ οὐδεὶς Περσέων ἠξίωσέ κω ἑαυτὸν συμβαλέειν. In all these places, though past time is spoken of, there is no opposition between past and future. Or, as happens with ἤδη, ποτέ, ἔτι, and other particles, the notion of time is altogether lost. Cp e.g. Hes Op. et D. 271, τά γ' ου πω ἔολπα τελεῖν. The conjecture γ' ἐγώ takes the emphasis from the verb.
106.
mvp-comment-74-1
τούτου θανόντος This is most easily explained as genitive absolute, but is at the same time to be partly connected with τοὺς αὐτοέντας.
107.
mvp-comment-75-1
τοὺς αὐτοέντας .. τινάς
The murderers, whosoever they are. Cp. Ο. С. 288-289, ὅταν δ᾽ ὁ κύριος παρῇ τις: Hdt. 1. 114. τὸν δὲ κού τινα .. τῷ δέ τινι. This reading is preferable to τινά. If the mark over the σ L. indicates doubt, as seems probable from the parallel reading of A, this would only prove that some early scribe knew of or wished to suggest the other reading, perhaps because it seemed easier.
107.
mvp-comment-75-2
χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν Like τοιαύτῃ χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν,
l. 140
. For the rare active, denoting an absolute intention, see Essay on Language p. 98. The vague use of the plural in Creon's report prepares the way for the more definite statement in l. 122 without committing the oracle to error.
108.
mvp-comment-76-1
οἱ δ᾽ εἰσὶ ποῦ γῆς The inversion gives additional emphasis.
108.
mvp-comment-76-2
τόδε This, which we are set to find. Cp. τόδ' αἷμα, supr. 101.
110.
mvp-comment-77-1
τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον ἁλωτόν Creon, though no longer quoting the oracle, continues the oracular tone. Cp. 87-88.
112.
mvp-comment-78-1
It may seem strange that Oedipus should not have heard the particulars from Jocasta. But this kind of improbability is external to the play, and dramatic interest requires that the fact should here be brought before the mind of the spectator. Cp. Aristot. Poet. 1454-1456, ἄλογον δὲ μηδὲν εἶναι ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν, εἰ δὲ μή, ἔξω τῆς τραγῳδίας, οἷον τὰ ἐν τῷ Οἰδίποδι τῷ Σοφοκλέους. The inevitable unlikelihood is minimized, however. For Oedipus does not deny having heard of the violent death of Laius; and gives a reason afterwards (220-221) why he could not inquire into the circumstances at the time.
114.
mvp-comment-79-1
θεωρός i.e. to Delphi. О. С. 413, ἀνδρῶν θεωρῶν Δελφικῆς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας. Sophocles gives no hint as to the nature of the mission, whether occasioned by private anxiety or the troubles of the state. Euripides, Phoen. 36, adds this further touch, τὸν ἐκτεθέντα παῖδα μαστεύων μαθεῖν | εἰ μηκέτ' εἴη.
114.
mvp-comment-79-2
ὡς ἔφασκεν] Sc. ὁ Λάϊος.
115.
mvp-comment-80-1
ὡς ἀπεστάλη
After he had once taken his departure.
116.
mvp-comment-81-1
And there was none to tell the tale, no fellow-traveller who saw the deed, whose information might have been a guide to us? The words οὐδ᾽ ἄγγελος point to a repetition of ἵκετο, which is lost sight of in the continuation of the sentence.
117.
mvp-comment-82-1
ἐχρήσατ᾿ ἄν Sc. αὐτῷ οἱ τῇ μαθήσει. Cp. Τr. 60, πάρεστι χρῆσθαι τἀνδρὶ τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις. The conjecture κατεῖδεν ὅ τι τις, κ.τ.λ. gives a less natural meaning. The witness who saw anything, must have seen the deed.
118.
mvp-comment-83-1
φόβῳ is connected partly with φυγών and partly with the following words (cp. O. C. 1625, ὀρθίας | στῆσαι φόβῳ δείσαντας τρίχας).
The fear with which he fled made him unable to speak with certainty of what he saw except on one point.
120.
mvp-comment-84-1
'For one fact might lead to the knowledge of many, if we could get hold of even a slight beginning of hope.' μαθεῖν supplements ἐξεύροι. Cp. Τr. 673. In ἀρχήν there is perhaps an association from the end of a thread. Cp. Hdt. 4. 60, σπάσας τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ στρόφου : Eur. Hipp. 762, πλεκτὰς πεισμάτων ἀρχάς. The mystery is like a tangled skein, which a slight clue, once caught hold of, may be the means of unravelling. Cp. Eur. I. A. 1124, τίν' ἂν λάβοιμι τῶν ἐμῶν ἀρχὴν κακῶν;
122.
mvp-comment-85-1
ἔφασκε Sc. ὁ ἄγγελος. This confused account prevents Oedipus from being reminded of the real circumstances, and even delays his self-conviction when almost brought home, ll. 725-842. The report of the attendant must be supposed to precede the arrival of Oedipus at Thebes. He can therefore have had no reason for his falsehood except the natural temptation to veil his cowardice by exaggerating the force from which he had fled.
124.
mvp-comment-86-1
ὁ λῃστής The singular referring to the plural may only be an idiomatic collective use (cp. ὁ Μῆδοs, etc,); but may also be a stroke of art, by which Oedipus is represented as wholly careless about the number of the persons, which is afterwards his only refuge: 842 ff.
125.
mvp-comment-87-1
ἐπράσσετο
Unless some influence with money was exerted from Thebes. Cp. Thuc. 5. 83, ὑπῆρχε δέ τι .. αὐτόθεν πρασσόμενον, ib. 4.121. The brigand must have had confederates in the city. Cp. O. C. 1028-1031, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτῳ σὺ πιστὸς ὢν ἔδρας πάδε: Ford's Perkin Warbeck,
l. 1
,
Foreign attempts against a state and kingdom | Are seldom without some great friend at home.
126.
mvp-comment-88-1
δοκοῦντα ταῦτ᾽ ἦν
So men surmised. Such suspicions were always rife in Greek states, and recur elsewhere in tragedy. Cp. Ant. 289-292; О. С. 1028-1030.
126.
mvp-comment-88-2
Λαΐου is gen. abs. ἐν κακοῖς prevents Λαΐου from being taken as the genitive in regimen.
We had the suspicion of treachery, but, when Laius was gone, there was no one to stand up for us in our misfortunes.
128.
mvp-comment-89-1
κακὸν δὲ ποῖον The inverted order gives an indignant emphasis to ποῖον.
And what misfortune could there be, which, when majesty was thus fallen, prevented you from investigating this matter to the end? τοῦτο, sc. τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ τὴν τυραννίδα οὕτω πεσεῖν.
128.
mvp-comment-89-2
ἐμποδών Cp. Eur. Phoen. 706, ἃ δ' ἐμποδὼν μάλιστα, ταῦθ᾽ ἥκω φράσων.
128.
mvp-comment-89-3
τυραννίδος οὕτω πεσούσης The abstract word emphasizes the strangeness of the neglect. Cp. Shak. K. Lear, 2.4,
'Tis worse than murder, To do upon respect such violent outrage.
131.
mvp-comment-90-1
Recte utitur poeta verbo medio quia τὸ πρὸς ποσίν pertinet ad ipsam Sphingam
(Herm.); i.e. The Sphinx drew our attention towards herself.
132.
mvp-comment-91-1
ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς
Beginning the inquiry anew.
132.
mvp-comment-91-2
αὔτ᾽ Probably αὐτό, not αὐτά. This one hidden thing, the secret of the murder.
134.
mvp-comment-92-1
'Have shown this care towards the dead.' For the periphrasis, cp. Ant. 151, θέσθε λησμοσύναν. πρός has greater MS. authority than πρό, and agrees better with the image suggested by ἐπιστροφήν (lit. 'turning towards'). Cp. infr. 1434, πρὸς σοῦ γάρ, οὐδ᾽ ἐμοῦ, φράσω.
134.
mvp-comment-92-2
ἐπιστροφή is sudden attention to a thing hitherto neglected. Cp. Phil. 598-599, τίνος δ' Ἀτρείδαι τοῦδ᾽ ἄγαν οὕτω χρόνῳ τοσῷδ᾽ ἐπεστρέφοντο πράγματος χάριν ;
135.
mvp-comment-93-1
ἐνδίκως
As is meet. The frank heart of Oedipus fully acknowledges the claim.
136.
mvp-comment-94-1
τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἅμα For the religious feeling here expressed, cp. O. С. 1182, 3, τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ φρενὶ | χάριν παρασχεῖν, τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
137.
mvp-comment-95-1
τῶν ἀπωτέρω φίλων ΑA far-off friend or connection,' as a wife's former husband may not unnaturally be called. Oedipus is still unconsciously drawing the attention of the spectators to his own part in the business. The person to be avenged is his father, and he is himself the author of the pollution, in which he has so deep an interest (αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ μύσος is suggested, though not said), and of the crime which he may one day wreak upon himself. For αὑτοῦ in 1st pers. see Essay on Language p. 37.
140.
mvp-comment-96-1
καμ᾿ ἂν.. τιμωρεῖν θέλοι
Might choose to wreak his violence in like manner on me. The tendency to use the same word though in a different connection (cp. 1. 136, and see Essay on Language § 44, p. 84) may have partly led to the use of τιμωρεῖν here. But the word is not inappropriate the murderer may be supposed to have a grudge against the crown-and by using it Oedipus suggests the end, when he, the murderer, shall inflict vengeance on himself, the king, with the same hand that had slain Laius. The conjecture πημαίνειν is therefore not in point. The words also prepare the way for what follows, by betraying the first rise of the feeling of suspicion in Oedipus which presently fixes itself on Creon. Cp. the sensitiveness of Creon himself on a like occasion in the Antigone, 1. 289, ταῦτα καὶ πάλαι, κ.τ.λ.
141.
mvp-comment-97-1
κείνῳ προσαρκῶν οὖν ἐμαυτὸν ὠφελῶ Schol. καὶ τοῦτο κινητικὸν τοῦ θεάτρου· τὰ γὰρ ἐναντία ἀποβήσεται.
143.
mvp-comment-98-1
ἄραντες They had laid them on the altar. Aesch. Suppl. 242, Eur. Heracl. 125.
145.
mvp-comment-99-1
ἢ γάρ Recalling the Homeric γνωσόμεθ' ἠε τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν ἠε τις ἡμῖν.
I will use all effort, for it is a crisis in the state of Thebes. Cp. Tr. 82-85, ἐν οὖν ῥοπῇ τοιᾷδε κειμένῳ, τέκνον, | οὐκ εἶ ξυνέρξων, ἡνίκ᾿ ἡ σεσώσμεθα, | κείνου βίον σώσαντος, ἢ οἰχόμεσθ' ἅμα. Τo the spectators the word πεπτωκότες, with which Oedipus departs, is ominous of the catastrophe. Oedipus now goes into the palace, and after l. 150 the suppliants file off to the right.
146.
mvp-comment-100-1
σὺν τῷ θεῷ i.e. Apollo.
147.
mvp-comment-101-1
ἔξεισιν ὁ ἱερεὺς πράξας διόπερ ἦλθεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χώραν εἶναι ἑτέρῳ ὑποκριτῇ. Schol. The sin simple is used for the compound verb (ἀνιστώμεθα). Essay on Language $ 55. 4. p. 101. Supr. 143.
148.
mvp-comment-102-1
ὧν .. ἐξαγγέλλεται
What he of his own accord announces. For this
subjective use of the middle voice, see Essay on Language § 31. d. p. 53.
149.
mvp-comment-103-1
ἅμα Sc. τῷ πέμψαι, κ.τ.λ.
May Phoebus who has sent these oracles also give with them salvation and release. The suppliants retire from the stage; and the chorus of elders, honoured representatives (1. 1223) of the Theban people, whom Oedipus has summoned (1144), bound by ties of blood to the house of Cadmus (1. 1226),-enter the ὀρχήστρα from the spectator's right.
