Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 616

mvp-comment-398-1 The infin. Φρονεῖν ¹

mvp-comment-399-1 ταχύς τις χωρῇ ²

mvp-comment-400-1 τί δῆτα χρῄζεις; … τὸ γοῦν ἐμόν ³ ὡς ἂν ⁴ οὐ γὰρ ⁵ οὐ γὰρ ⁶

mvp-comment-401-1 ἀρκτέον ⁷

mvp-comment-402-1 ἄρχοντος ⁸

mvp-comment-402-2 ὧ πόλις πόλις ⁹

mvp-comment-403-1 πόλεως ¹⁰ μέτεστιν οὐχὶ ¹¹

617. mvp-comment-365-1 φρονεῖν is to be repeated with both adjectives. Swift is not sure in thought. For the inf. cp. Pind. Ol. 13.48.

618. mvp-comment-366-1 When my secret enemy is one who advances swiftly.' ταχύς τις is supplementary predicate after χωρῇ. Cp. Αj. 1266, φεῦ, τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς | χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται: Phil. 519, μὴ νῦν μέν τις εὐχερὴς παρῇς. And for the article with the subject in such a connection, cp. Ant. 951, ὁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά. 624-625. The text of these lines is probably defective. Two things seem clear; (1) that line 625 is more appropriate to Creon than to Oedipus, You speak as if you would not relent nor believe me. (MS. Farn. had upe. before this line by p. m.) Cp. infr. 646, πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε: 650, τί σοὶ θέλεις δῆτ᾽ εἰκάθω; Αj. 371, ὦ πρὸς θεῶν ὕπεικε καὶ φρόνησον εὖ: and (2) that line 624 is addressed by Oedipus to Creon, and conveys a threat: When you have given an example of the crime of envy. Cp. Ant. 308, πρὶν ἂν | ζῶντες κρεμαστοὶ τήνδε δηλώσηθ ὕβριν: ib. 325-326, έξερεῖθ᾽ ὅτι | τὰ δειλὰ κέρδη πημονὰς ἐργάζεται: Τr. 1110-1111, ἵν᾽ ἐκδιδαχθῇ πᾶσιν ἀγγέλλειν ὅτι | καὶ ζῶν κακούς γε καὶ θανὼν ἐτισάμην: Ant. 1242-1243, δείξας ἐν ἀνθρώποισι τὴν ἀβουλίαν, | ὅσῳ μέγιστον ἀνδρὶ πρόσκειται κακόν (ⅰ.e. προδείξας οἷόν ἐστι τὸ κακῶς βουλεύειν) : Pind. P. 2. 42. By transposing 624-625, as Haase suggested, a kind of meaning may be brought out. My desire for you is death, not banishment. You speak as if you would not relent. I will relent when you are made an example of the sin of envy (and not before). (My envy is) that I see you to be unwise. But the transitions are too violent. Again, 623-624, may be read continuously, and the loss of a single line supposed after 625. I would have you be (not banished but) slain, when you have first been made an example of the crime of envy (in the manner of your death). You speak as if you would not relent nor believe me. ['And you speak like a rebel.'] Because I see you blind. But the insertion (διὰ μέσου) οἱ οὐ φυγεῖν, and the abruptness of ὅταν προδείξῃς, may be thought to prevent the two lines from coalescing into a harmonious sentence. In this case the most probable inference would be that one or more lines have been lost before 624 and after 625. The old explanations of the Scholiast, When you have shown the nature of the grudge I bear you,' sc. oἷός ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς πρὸς σὲ φθόνος (cp. supr. 605 ff.), or of Hermann, When you have shown the nature of your grudge against me, or of the ancient gloss, When you have first explained:-oh! what a thing envy is!' are untenable, especially because they afford no natural explanation of l. 625. The broken lines (626 foll.) mark the climax of the altercation. Cp. O. C. 832, 885.

628. mvp-comment-367-1 εἰ δὲ ξυνίης μηδέν But how if you are wholly in the dark? The strong expression, while suiting the passion of Creon, also suggests a truth of which he is ignorant. For el cp. Aesch. Suppl. 511, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ δρακόντων δυσφρόνων ἐχθίοσιν.

628. mvp-comment-367-2 ἀρκτέον γ' ὅμως] Yes, authority must be maintained even then. The verbal here belongs to the impersonal passive verb. For the verbal of the passive, cp. Fr. 27 N.: Dem. c. Dinarch. 176, οὐ καταπληκτέον ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.

629. mvp-comment-368-1 οὔτοι.. ἄρχοντος No, I am not bound to obey (οὐκ ἀρκτέον ἐμοὶ) one who rules badly. ἄρχοντος is (1) gen. abs., or (2) = ἐξ ἄρχοντος : cp. Ant. 63, ἀρχόμεσθ' ἐκ κρεισσόνων. But see Essay on Language § 39. pp. 72. 3.

629. mvp-comment-368-2 ὦ πόλις πόλις Oedipus appeals to the citizens to rebuke the disloyal utterance of Creon: cp. O.C.833: or, perhaps, apostrophizes the state, whose safety is menaced by the indulgence of such a spirit.

630. mvp-comment-369-1 κἀμοὶ πόλεως μέτεστιν I too have a claim upon the state. Not only as a citizen (cp. Ant. 737, πόλις γὰρ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ἥτις ἀνδρός ἐσθ᾽ ἑνός), but as the brother of the queen, whose right was prior to that of Oedipus himself. Cp. 577-581. Oedipus appeals to his loyal citizens against the insubordination of Creon, who replies that he also has a right in the state. As his temper rises, he no longer acknowledges that he owes his influence to Oedipus. The disadvantage under which Oedipus labours, as the stranger prince, is subtly maintained throughout. The chorus interpose in their character of mediator, not to take part with either disputant, but to appease the strife.

631. mvp-comment-370-1 ὑμῖν Cp. O. C. 81, ἢ βέβηκεν ἡμὶν ὁ ξένος ;