Sophocles Electra 849

mvp-comment-114-1 Hitherto the Chorus have offered consolation or counsel. At v. 213 they return to that strain. But here, moved by Electra's misery, they join with her in bewailing its cause.

mvp-comment-114-2 οἰκτρὰ μὲν … πλαγά ¹ κοίταις ² οἰκτρὰ … αὐδὰ ³

mvp-comment-114-3 Sophocles, who follows the Homeric story as to the banquet, could not but remember the

of the dying Cassandra. And this might naturally suggest to him that other which she had uttered at an earlier moment, immediately after Agamemnon's return,—her presage of his fate, and her own: Aesch. Ag. 1072 —1314.

mvp-comment-114-4 The sense then is:—‘There was a voice of lamentation at the return from Troy’; alluding especially to Cassandra's laments, but also, perhaps, to forebodings in the mouth of the people at Mycenae. ‘And there was a voice of lamentation

, when thy father lay on the couch at the fatal banquet.’ The ‘voice’ at the banquet is, first, that of the dying Agamemnon; but Sophocles may have thought also of Cassandra's death-cry, which was sounding in the king's ears as he fell.—For other interpretations, see Appendix.

mvp-comment-114-5 νόστοις ⁴ ἐν ⁵

mvp-comment-114-6 κοίταις ⁶

mvp-comment-114-7 ὅτε οἱ ⁷ σοι ⁸ ἀνταία ⁹

mvp-comment-114-8 γενύων ¹⁰

mvp-comment-115-1 δόλος … ἔρος ¹¹

mvp-comment-116-1 δεινὰν δεινῶς ¹² δεινὰν … μορφάν ¹³

mvp-comment-116-2 εἴτ’ οὖν … εἴτε ¹⁴ βροτῶν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-117-1 πλέον … ἐχθίστα ¹⁶

mvp-comment-117-2 δὴ ¹⁷

mvp-comment-118-1 νὺξ ¹⁸

mvp-comment-118-2 δείπνων ¹⁹

mvp-comment-119-1 ἄχθη ²⁰ τοῖς ²¹ θανάτους ²²

mvp-comment-119-2 διδύμαιν χειροῖν ²³ διδύμοιν ²⁴

mvp-comment-120-1 εἷλον … πρόδοτον ²⁵

mvp-comment-121-1 οἷς ²⁶

mvp-comment-121-2 Ὀλύμπιος ²⁷

mvp-comment-122-1 ποίνιμα ²⁸

mvp-comment-123-1 ἀγλαΐας ²⁹

mvp-comment-123-2 ἀποναίατο ³⁰

mvp-comment-124-1 πόρσω ³¹

mvp-comment-125-1 γνώμαν ἴσχεις ³²

mvp-comment-125-2 ἐξ οἵων ³³

mvp-comment-125-3 τὰ παρόντ’ ³⁴

mvp-comment-125-4 οἰκείας ³⁵

mvp-comment-126-1 πολύ … τι κακῶν ³⁶

mvp-comment-126-2 ὑπερεκτήσω ³⁷

mvp-comment-127-1 τὰ δὲ ³⁸ οὐκ ἐριστὰ τοῖς δυνατοῖς ³⁹ πλάθειν ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-127-2 ἐριστά ⁴¹

mvp-comment-127-3 πλάθειν ⁴²

mvp-comment-128-1 δεινοῖς ἠναγκάσθην ⁴³

mvp-comment-129-1 ὀργά ⁴⁴ ἔξοιδ’ ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-130-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-130-2 ἐν … δεινοῖς ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-130-3 σχήσω ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-130-4 ταύτας ἄτας ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-131-1 ὄφρα ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-131-2 βίος ἔχῃ με ⁵¹ σχήσω ⁵²

mvp-comment-132-1 τίνι γάρ … τίνι φρονοῦντι καίρια ⁵³ ἀκούσαιμ’ ἂν πρόσφορον ἔπος ⁵⁴ τίνι ⁵⁵ πρόσφορον ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-132-2 Other explanations are:—(1) Taking the dative with

:—‘To what person who feels aright would that word be suitable which I should hear (=which would be said of me)?’ That is: Should I not deserve to incur a censure from which every right-minded person would shrink? Should I not deserve to be called ? This seems forced; and it does not well suit . (2) Taking the dative with :—‘At whose mouth (= from whom), that thinks aright, could I hear a suitable word of comfort?’ But such a dative seems impossible. In Il. 16. 515 | , the dat. is one of interest, denoting the person whose prayer is heard (‘ for him’); cp. Il. 5. 115 : 24. 335 .

mvp-comment-133-1 ἄνετε ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-133-2 ἄλυτα ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-133-3 κεκλήσεται ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-133-4 231 f. For ἐκ ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-133-5 ἀνάριθμος ⁶¹ θρήνων ⁶²

mvp-comment-134-1 ἀλλ’ οὖν ⁶³ γε ⁶⁴ εὐνοίᾳ ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-135-1 μάτηρ ὡσεί τις ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-136-1 μὴ τίκτειν ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-136-2 ἄταν ἄταις ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-137-1 καὶ τί μέτρον ⁶⁹ κακότατος ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-137-2 φέρε ⁷¹

mvp-comment-137-3 ἐπὶ τοῖς φθ. ⁷²

mvp-comment-138-1 ἔβλαστ’ ⁷³

mvp-comment-139-1 τούτοις ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-140-1 εἴ τῳ πρόσκειμαι χρηστῷ ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-141-1 ξυνναίοιμ’ ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-141-2 εὔκηλος ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-141-3 γονέων ⁷⁸ ἐκτίμους ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-141-4 ἐκτίμους ἵσχουσα ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-141-5 πτέρυγας … γόων ⁸¹

mvp-comment-141-6 ὀξυτόνων ⁸²

mvp-comment-142-1 εἰ γὰρ ⁸³

mvp-comment-142-2 γᾶ ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-142-3 οὐδὲν ⁸⁵ ὢν ⁸⁶ εἰ ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-142-4 Electra is contrasting her father, whose earthly life has been cut short, with his murderers, who survive. But she believes that his spirit lives in the world below, and will be active in aiding the vengeance (453 ff.).

mvp-comment-142-5 πάλιν ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-142-6 ἀντιφόνους δίκας ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-143-1 ἔρροι τ’ ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-143-2 αἰδὼς ⁹¹ εὐσέβεια ⁹²

mvp-comment-144-1 ἐγὼ μὲν ⁹³

mvp-comment-144-2 καὶ ⁹⁴ τὸ σὸν … καὶ τοὐμὸν ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-145-1 νίκα ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-145-2 ἅμα ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-146-1 πολλοῖσι θρήνοις ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-147-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-148-1 ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-149-1 πατρῷα … πήματα ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-150-1 κατ’ εὐφρόνην ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-150-2 θάλλοντα ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-151-1 ᾗ ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-151-2 πρῶτα μὲν … εἶτα … ἔπειτα ¹⁰⁵ ᾗ ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-151-3 τὰ μητρὸς ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-151-4 ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-152-1 κἀκ τῶνδ’ ἄρχομαι ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-153-1 λαβεῖν … τὸ τητᾶσθαι ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-154-1 ποίας ¹¹¹ δοκεῖς ¹¹²

mvp-comment-155-1 ἴδω ¹¹³ εἰσίδω δ’ ¹¹⁴ ἴδω δὲ ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-155-2 μὲν ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-156-1 ἐσθήματα ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-156-2 ἐκείνῳ ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-156-3 παρεστίους … λοιβάς ¹¹⁹ ἔνθ’ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-156-4 Acc. to Homer. Hymn. 29. 4 ff., feasts began and ended with libations to Hestia:

| | . Soph. fr. 658 . Other divinities, including Zeus , were similarly honoured; then the paean was sung, and the began ( Plat. Symp.p. 176 A).

mvp-comment-157-1 τούτων ¹²¹

mvp-comment-158-1 αὐτοέντην ¹²²

mvp-comment-158-2 Brunck first adopted αὐτοέντην ¹²³ αὐτοφόντην ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-158-3 ἡμὶν ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-159-1 ταλαίνῃ ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-160-1 ταύτην … τῷδε ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-161-1 μιάστορι ¹²⁸ Ἐρινὺν ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐγγελῶσα τοῖς ποιουμένοις ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-163-1 εὑροῦς’ ¹³¹ τότε ¹³²

mvp-comment-163-2 The conjecture φρουροῦς’ ¹³³ τηροῦς’ ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-164-1 χοροὺς ἵστησι ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-164-2 μηλοσφαγεῖ … ἱερὰ ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-164-3 ἔμμην’ ἱερά ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-164-4 τοῖς σωτηρίοις ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-164-5 Argive tradition placed Agamemnon's death on the 13th of Gamelion (about the end of January). So said ‘the Argive historians’ (

),— according to an Argive writer named Deinias, who lived about 225 B.C. (Schol. here: Müller, Frag. Hist. vol. III. p. 25.) Possibly, then, the idea of Clytaemnestra's hideous festival may have been suggested to the poet by some actual commemoration of the event in Argolis. There was a cult of Agamemnon in various places,—notably in Laconia. (Cp. Roscher's Lexicon, p. 96.)

mvp-comment-165-1 ἡ δύσμορος ¹³⁹ κατὰ στέγας ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-166-1 τέτηκα ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-166-2 πατρὸς ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-166-3 The

is the feast which, in Homeric fashion ( Il. 1. 467 ), would follow the sacrifice (281). Acc. to Eustathius p. 1507. 61 (on Hom. Od. 4. 524 ff.), (or ) was a proverb . The poet may mean that Clytaemnestra called the festival , in direct allusion to (203): and this would give a special point to (277). Cp. Eur. Or. 1008 . But the words do not necessarily imply more than that she called it .

mvp-comment-167-1 αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτήν ¹⁴³ αὑτήν ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-167-2 κλαῦσαι ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-167-3 ἡδονὴν φέρει ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-168-1 ἡ λόγοισι γενναία ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-169-1 φωνοῦσα ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-170-1 δύσθεον ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-170-2 μίσημα ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-170-3 σοὶ μόνῃ ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-170-4 τέθνηκεν ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-170-5 ἐν πένθει ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-171-1 ἐκ γόων ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-171-2 οἱ κάτω θεοί ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-172-1 τάδ’ ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-172-2 ἥξοντ’ Ὀρέστην ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-173-1 παραστᾶς’ ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-174-1 ἥτις ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-174-2 ὑπεξέθου ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-175-1 ἀλλ’ ἴσθι τοι τείσουσά γ’ ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-176-1 ὑλακτεῖ ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-176-2 σὺν ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-176-3 πέλας ¹⁶⁴ παρών ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-176-4 301 The adv. πάντα ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-176-5 ἄναλκις ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-176-6 ἡ πᾶσα βλάβη ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-177-1 σὺν γυναιξὶ ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-177-2 τὰς μάχας ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-178-1 ἐφήξειν ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-179-1 μέλλων … δρᾶν τι ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-179-2 τὰς οὔσας τε … καὶ τὰς ἀπούσας ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-179-3 μου ¹⁷⁴ μοι ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-179-4 διέφθορεν ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-180-1 σωφρονεῖν ¹⁷⁷ εὐσεβεῖν ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-180-2 ἔν τοι κακοῖς ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-180-3 πολλή )στ’ ἀνάγκη ¹⁸⁰ κἀπιτηδεύειν κακά ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-180-4 I place only a comma, not a colon, after πάρεστιν ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-181-1 ὄντος … βεβῶτος ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-182-1 ἦ κάρτα ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-182-2 θυραῖον ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-182-3 οἰχνεῖν ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-182-4 ἀγροῖσι ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-182-5 τυγχάνει ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-183-1 ἦ κἂν … ἱκοίμην ¹⁸⁹ ἦ τ<*>ν ¹⁹⁰ ἦ δἂν ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-183-2 ἐς λόγους τοὺς σοὺς ἱκοίμην ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-184-1 ὡς νῦν ¹⁹³ ὥς νυν ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-184-2 ἱστόρει· τί σοι φίλον ¹⁹⁵ τό ¹⁹⁶ τά ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-184-3 With the other punctuation, ἱστόρει τί σοι φίλον ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-185-1 καὶ δὴ ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-185-2 τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-185-3 ἥξοντος ²⁰¹ ἢ μέλλοντος ²⁰²

mvp-comment-186-1 φησίν γε ²⁰³

mvp-comment-186-2 ποεῖ ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-187-1 καὶ μὴν ἔγωγ’ ²⁰⁵ γε ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-187-2 οὐκ ὄκνῳ ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-188-1 ἀρκεῖν ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-189-1 ἐπεί ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-189-2 μακρὰν ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-189-3 324 Here, as in 316, νῦν ²¹¹ νυν ²¹²

mvp-comment-189-4 δόμων ²¹³ φέρουσαν ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-190-1 ὅμαιμον ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-190-2 φύσιν ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-191-1 Χρυσόθεμιν ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-192-1 οἷα ²¹⁸ νομίζεται ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-193-1 πρὸς θυρῶνος ἐξόδοις ²²⁰ φωνεῖς ²²¹ ἐλθοῦσα ²²² αὖ ²²³

mvp-comment-193-2 330 For the absence of caesura, cp. Ph. 101 n.

mvp-comment-194-1 θυμῷ … χαρίζεσθαι ²²⁴

mvp-comment-195-1 καίτοι τοσοῦτόν γ’ οἶδα ²²⁵

mvp-comment-195-2 κἀμαυτήν, ὅτι ²²⁶

mvp-comment-195-3 333 f. For the repeated ἄν ²²⁷

mvp-comment-195-4 οἶ) αὐτοῖς φρονῶ ²²⁸

mvp-comment-196-1 ὑφειμένῃ ²²⁹ πλεῖν ²³⁰

mvp-comment-196-2 For the image, cp. Eur. Med. 524

(with close-reefed sails) | : Ar. Ran. 997 , | , | | : and conversely Soph. Ant. 715 | . Ovid Epist. 1. 8. 71

moderatius opta, | Et voti, quaeso, contrahe vela tui.

Shakesp. Henry VI., pt. iii, act 3 sc. 3. 5

‘Now Margaret | Must strike her sail, and learn awhile to serve | Where kings command.’

mvp-comment-197-1 καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν ²³¹

mvp-comment-198-1 τοιαῦτα δ’ ἄλλα ²³² ἀλλὰ ²³³ ἄλλα ²³⁴

mvp-comment-199-1 καίτοι τὸ μὲν δίκαιον ²³⁵

mvp-comment-199-2 κρίνεις ²³⁶

mvp-comment-199-3 εἰ … με δεῖ ²³⁷

mvp-comment-199-4 ἐλευθέραν ²³⁸

mvp-comment-199-5 ζῆν ²³⁹

mvp-comment-199-6 πάντ’ ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-199-7 ἀκουστέα ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-200-1 δεινόν γε ²⁴²

mvp-comment-201-1 τῆς … τικτούσης ²⁴³

mvp-comment-201-2 μέλειν ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-202-1 τἀμὰ νουθετήματα ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-202-2 κείνης διδακτά ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-202-3 ἐκ σαυτῆς ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-203-1 The text, which has been suspected (cr. n.), is sound; but the train of thought is somewhat obscured by compression.

mvp-comment-203-2 ‘You forget your father, and care only for your mother. All your counsels to me come from her. Then (

),—that being so,—give up the attempt at a compromise. Make a choice ( ). You can be imprudent ( ),—as you say that I am,—and loyal to your dead father. Or you can be prudent ( ), and forgetful of him,—as you actually are; you who ( ) say, indeed, that you would show your hatred of the murderers if you could; and yet, when I do resist them, you try to turn me from my purpose. You merely add the shame of cowardice to our woes.’

mvp-comment-203-3 ἔπειθ’ ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-203-4 ἑλοῦ γε ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-203-5 φρονεῖν κακῶς ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-203-6 Other explanations are:—(1) ‘Choose to be thought either lost to right feeling, or, if you have such feeling, then at least forgetful of your duty.’ (2) ‘Choose to seem either unintelligent (if you are merely the blind instrument of our rulers); or, if you act with clear understanding (

),—thinking to benefit me,—at least forgetful of your father.’ Both these views assume that the question is merely between two interpretations which might be placed on the present conduct of Chrysothemis. But Electra is putting the dilemma between imprudent loyalty and prudent disloyalty.

mvp-comment-204-1 τῶν φίλων ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-205-1 ἥτις ²⁵² φρονοῦσα ²⁵³ μῖσος ²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-206-1 πάντα ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-206-2 τιμωρουμένης ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-207-1 οὔτε … τε ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-207-2 τήν τε δρῶσαν ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-208-1 πρὸς κακοῖσι ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-208-2 δειλίαν ἔχει ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-209-1 ἐπεὶ ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-209-2 ἢ μάθ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ ²⁶²

mvp-comment-210-1 ἐπαρκούντως ²⁶³

mvp-comment-211-1 προσάπτειν ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-211-2 εἴ τις ἔστ’ ἐκεῖ χάρις ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-212-1 ἡμὶν ²⁶⁶ ξύνει ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-213-1 τὰ σὰ … δῶῤ ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-213-2 ἐφ’ οἶσι ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-213-3 χλιδᾷς ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-214-1 ὑπεικάθοιμι ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-214-2 πλουσία ²⁷²

mvp-comment-214-3 περιρρείτω ²⁷³

mvp-comment-215-1 τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν ²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-215-2 Remark the resemblance to the passage where Antigone—summing up her position—compares the moral pain of neglecting her duty with those penalties which she contemns:—

( Ant. 468 ). There, too, we have a Sophoclean triad of clauses, the third echoing the first,—as here reiterates the sense of (n. on Ant. 465 ff.).

mvp-comment-215-3 One of the scholia recognises the traditional reading, and explains it correctly: —

(‘as I should do, if’) .—The conjectures have been numerous: see Appendix.

mvp-comment-216-1 οὐδ’ ἂν σὺ ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-217-1 παῖδα ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-217-2 κεκλῆσθαι ²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-218-1 πλείστοις ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-219-1 μηδὲν ²⁷⁹ πρὸς ὀργὴν ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-220-1 ἀμφοῖν ²⁸¹ τοῖς λόγοις ²⁸²

mvp-comment-221-1 τῆσδε … αὕτη ²⁸³ πάλιν ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-222-1 ἐγὼ μὲν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-222-2 πως ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-222-3 μύθων ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-223-1 οὐδ’ ²⁸⁸ κοὐδ’ ²⁸⁹ ποτέ ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-224-1 ἰὸν ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-224-2 σχήσει ²⁹²

mvp-comment-225-1 τὸ δεινὸν ²⁹³

mvp-comment-225-2 εἰ γὰρ τῶνδέ μοι ²⁹⁴ εἰ ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-226-1 γὰρ ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-226-2 γόων ²⁹⁷ λόγων ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-227-1 ἐνταῦθα ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-227-2 ἔνθα μή ποτε … προσόψει ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-227-3 ζῶσα ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-227-4 κατηρεφεῖ ³⁰²

mvp-comment-227-5 χθονὸς τῆσδ’ ἐκτὸς ³⁰³

mvp-comment-227-6 ὑμνήσεις ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-228-1 πρὸς ταῦτα ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-228-2 Nauck reads κοὔ ³⁰⁶ καί ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-228-3

schol.: H. 4. 3. 5 : so, too, Eur. Heracl. 971 , etc. Cp. ( )= in Soph. Ph. 1155 ; and = in O.T. 78.

mvp-comment-229-1 ἦ ταῦτα δὴ ³⁰⁸ ἦ … δὴ ³⁰⁹ ἦ … γὰρ ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-229-2 καὶ βεβούλευνται ³¹¹

mvp-comment-230-1 ἀλλ’ ἐξίκοιτο ³¹²

mvp-comment-230-2 τοῦδέ γ’ οὕνεκ’ ³¹³

mvp-comment-231-1 τίνα … τόνδ’ ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-231-2 τάλαινα ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-232-1 εἴ τι τῶνδε ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-233-1 ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ φρενῶν ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-234-1 ὅπως ³¹⁸ ὑμῶν ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-234-2 προσώτατ’ ³²⁰ προσωτάτω φύγω ³²¹

mvp-comment-235-1 βίου … τοῦ παρόντος ³²²

mvp-comment-236-1 καλὸς γὰρ ³²³

mvp-comment-236-2 θαυμάσαι ³²⁴

mvp-comment-237-1 τοῖς φίλοις ³²⁵

mvp-comment-238-1 εἰκαθεῖν ³²⁶

mvp-comment-239-1 ταῦτα ³²⁷ οὐκ ἐμοὺς ³²⁸

mvp-comment-240-1 γε ³²⁹ μέντοι ³³⁰

mvp-comment-240-2 μὴ )ξ ³³¹

mvp-comment-240-3 πεσεῖν ³³²

mvp-comment-240-4 399 A woman, speaking of herself in the plur., uses the masc.: Ant. 926

.

mvp-comment-241-1 συγγνώμην ³³³

mvp-comment-242-1 τἄπη ³³⁴

mvp-comment-242-2 πρὸς κακῶν ³³⁵

mvp-comment-243-1 μή πω ³³⁶

mvp-comment-244-1 οἷπερ … ὁδοῦ ³³⁷

mvp-comment-245-1 τῷ φέρεις ³³⁸

mvp-comment-245-2 ἔμπυρα ³³⁹

mvp-comment-246-1 τυμβεῦσαι χοάς ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-247-1 βροτῶν ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-248-1 ὃν ἔκταν’ αὐτή ³⁴² ὅν γ’ ³⁴³

mvp-comment-249-1 τῷ τοῦτ’ ἤρεσεν ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-250-1 δείματος ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-250-2 δοκεῖν ἐμοί ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-251-1 θεοὶ πατρῷοι ³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-251-2 συγγένεσθέ γ’ ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-251-3 ἀλλὰ νῦν ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-252-1 εἴποιμ’ ἂν τότε ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-253-1 ἐπὶ σμικρὸν ³⁵¹ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν ³⁵²

mvp-comment-253-2 φράσαι ³⁵³

mvp-comment-254-1 σμικροὶ λόγοι ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-255-1 πατρὸς … δευτέραν ὁμιλίαν ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-255-2 ἐφέστιον πῆξαι ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-255-3 This sceptre is described in the Iliad (2. 101 f.) as the work of Hephaestus, who gave it Zeus; Hermes transmitted it to Pelops, from whom it passed to Atreus and Agamemnon. The Homeric sceptre is often called

( Il. 2. 268 , etc.), prob. as being ornamented with gold foil, or studded with gold nails ( Il. 1. 246 ). Among the objects found at Mycenae are some supposed remains of such sceptres (Schliem., Myc. 201, etc.).

mvp-comment-255-4 οὑφόρει ποτέ ³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-256-1 ἔκ τε ³⁵⁸ ἐκ δὲ ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-256-2 βρύοντα ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-256-3 ᾧ … γενέσθαι ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-256-4 The vision resembles that of Astyages, who dreamed that a vine sprang from his daughter Mandanè, the wife of Cambyses,

. The explained this to mean that her son (Cyrus) should reign in his grandfather's stead. ( Her. 1. 108. ) The spreading branches figure also in the dream of Xerxes (7. 19): .

mvp-comment-256-5 In choosing the sceptre of Agamemnon as the stock from which the wondrous growth is put forth, Sophocles may have had in mind the words of Achilles ( Il. 1. 234 ff.);

| , | .

mvp-comment-257-1 του παρόντος ³⁶² τοῦ ³⁶³ παρόντος ³⁶⁴ του ³⁶⁵

mvp-comment-257-2 Ἡλίῳ δείκνυσι τοὖναρ ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-258-1 οὐ κάτοιδα, πλὴν ³⁶⁷

mvp-comment-258-2 πέμπει με κείνη ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-259-1 These three verses, which the MSS. give to Electra, and which several recent critics reject (cr. n.), clearly belong to Chrysothemis, and are genuine. Electra's exclamation of joy (411) caused Chrysothemis to ask if her sister had any ground for hope (412). Electra replied that, when she had heard the dream, she would say. This showed her sister that Electra relied merely on the fact that Clytaemnestra had seen some fearful vision. Now, therefore, instead of asking for Electra's interpretation, she merely repeats her counsel (383 f.) before proceeding on her errand. The words

(428 ff.) show the train of her thought. To Chrysothemis, the alarm of Clytaemnestra (427) is more important than the apparition of Agamemnon. The dream is only a new reason why Electra should be cautious,—not why she should hope.

mvp-comment-259-2 The current ascription of the verses to Electra was doubtless prompted by verse 413. It was supposed that the recital of Chrysothemis must be immediately followed by the comments of Electra. But, as Hermann observed, the phrase

would alone suffice to show that the verses belong to Chrysothemis ( cp. 398 ). Nor could the warning, , be fitly uttered by Electra.

mvp-comment-259-3 τῶν ἐγγενῶν ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-260-1 ἀβουλίᾳ ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-260-2 σὺν κακῷ ³⁷¹

mvp-comment-260-3 μέτει ³⁷²

mvp-comment-261-1 ἀλλ’ ³⁷³

mvp-comment-261-2 ὦ φίλη ³⁷⁴ τούτων μὲν ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-262-1 οὐ … θέμις ³⁷⁶ οὐδ’ ὅσιον ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-262-2 ἐχθρᾶς ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ³⁷⁸

mvp-comment-262-3 κτερίσματ’ ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-262-4 λουτρὰ ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-263-1 ἀλλ’ ἢ πνοαῖσιν ³⁸¹ ῥοαῖσιν ³⁸²

mvp-comment-263-2 κρύψον ³⁸³

mvp-comment-263-3 νιν ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-263-4 ἔνθα μή ποτ’ ³⁸⁵ ἔνθεν ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-263-5 εὐνὴν ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-264-1 ἀλλ’ ὅταν θάῃν ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-264-2 The conjecture ἔστ’ ἂν ³⁸⁹ ὅταν ³⁹⁰ σῳζέσθω ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-264-3 κειμήλἰ ³⁹²

mvp-comment-265-1 ἀρχὴν ³⁹³ τλημονεστάτη ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-266-1 ἔβλαστε ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-267-1 ὅν γ’ … τῷδ’ ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-267-2 ἐπέστεφε ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-267-3 442 f. The position of αὐτῇ ³⁹⁸

mvp-comment-267-4 δέξεσθαι ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-267-5 It seems, then, a reasonable inference that here, where the reference is to future time, he would have written δέξεσθαι ⁴⁰⁰ δέξασθαι ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-267-6 444 ff. Join θανὼν ἄτιμος ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-267-7 ἐμασχαλίσθη ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-267-8 Two different motives are assigned by the Greek commentators; viz.:—(1) the desire to render the dead incapable of wreaking vengeance (

): (2) the desire to make an atonement ( ). There can be little doubt that the first of these motives was the primitive origin of the custom. If the second was afterwards blended with it, the idea may have been that of offering the severed portions to the gods below,—as a victim was devoted to death by cutting off a lock of hair ( Eur. Alc. 75 ). Apollonius Rhodius seems to present the practice in this light (4. 477): Jason, having slain a foe, . Cp. Etym. Magn.: .

mvp-comment-267-9 κἀπὶ λουτροῖσιν ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-267-10 ἐξέμαξ ν ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-267-11 ἆρα μὴ ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-268-1 οὐκ ἔστιν ⁴⁰⁷

mvp-comment-268-2 ταῦτα μὲν μέθες· σὺ δὲ ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-269-1 βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-269-2 κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-270-1 †ἀλιπαρῆ ⁴¹¹ λιπαρῆ ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-270-2 We come, therefore, to a dilemma. (1) The words

may conceal some corruption: ought possibly to be τήνδε τ’ ⁴¹³ ἀλίπαρον ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-270-3 (2) Or else, if the text be sound,

may mean . There is no doubt that , ‘fat,’ is the root both of , ‘shining,’ and of , ‘sticking’; cp. Plat. Crat. 427 B

τὸ λιπαρὸν καὶ τὸ κολλῶδες

( Curt. Etym. § 340 ). Similarly , ‘sticky,’ came to mean ‘importunate.’ It is barely possible that, in coining a new negative compound, the poet may have transferred the sense of to : but it seems improbable.

mvp-comment-271-1 ζῶμα ⁴¹⁵

mvp-comment-271-2 χλιδαῖς ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-272-1 προσπίτνουσα ⁴¹⁷ αὐτὸν ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-273-1 ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χερός ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-273-2 ζῶντ’ ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-274-1 ἀφνεωτέραις ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-274-2 στέφωμεν ⁴²²

mvp-comment-274-3 δωρούμεθα ⁴²³

mvp-comment-275-1 οἶμαι μὲν οὖν ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-275-2 If μέλον ⁴²⁵ μέλειν ⁴²⁶ μέλον ⁴²⁷

mvp-comment-276-1 σοί ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-277-1 βροτῶν ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-278-1 πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-279-1 δράσω ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-279-2 τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον ⁴³²

mvp-comment-279-3 (1)

is an acc. of general reference, and is impersonal. ‘With regard to what is (clearly) right, it is unreasonable for two persons to dispute; rather both should hasten on the doing (of it).’ With we supply the notion from the negative (as from in O. C. 1402 ff.; cp. O. T. 817 ff.). For the form of the sentence, cp. H. 7. 3. 7 . So here the acc. , which represents the object of , is separated from it by the parenthesis . (The first scholium gives substantially this view: .)

mvp-comment-279-4 (2) Or

might be nom.: ‘that which is clearly right does not afford any ground ( ) for two persons to dispute,’ etc. So the second schol.: . So far as the verb is concerned, this sense is quite admissible: cp. Thuc. 2. 41 ( ). The objection is that the phrases , which are very common, regularly mean, ‘to be reasonable,’ ‘to be unreasonable.’ This is so both in the personal and in the impersonal constr.; as Plat. Phaedop. 62 D : Dem. or. 36 § 54 ; The supposed sense, ‘not to afford a reason,’ is unexampled.

mvp-comment-279-5 δυοῖν ⁴³³

mvp-comment-280-1 παρ’ ὑμῶν ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-281-1 πικρὰν ⁴³⁵ δοκῶ με … τολμήσειν ⁴³⁶ ἔτι ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-282-1 εἰ μὴ )γὼ ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-282-2 γνώμας λειπομένα ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-283-1 ἁ πρόμαντις Δίκα ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-283-2 δίκαια φερομένα χεροῖν κράτη ⁴⁴¹

mvp-comment-284-1 μέτεισιν ⁴⁴²

mvp-comment-284-2 οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-285-1 ὕπεστί μοι θράσος ⁴⁴⁴ κλύουσαν ⁴⁴⁵

mvp-comment-285-2 ἁδυπνόων … ὀνειράτων ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-286-1 ἀμναστεῖ γ’ ὁ φύσας ς’ ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-287-1 χαλκόπλακτος ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-287-2 γένυς ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-287-3 The very axe (

, 99) with which the blow was dealt is imagined as nourishing a grudge against the murderers who had set it such a task. Such a personification recalls that practice of Athenian law by which inanimate objects which had caused death were brought to a formal trial in the court called , and, after sentence, cast beyond the boundaries, in the presence of the Archon Basileus and the sacrificial officers of the tribes ( ). Aeschin. or. 3 § 244 . (Cp. Dem. or. 23 § 76 .) A like conception was implied in the English law (repealed in 1846) of ‘deodands’ (Deo danda), i.e., personal chattels (whether animals or things) which, having caused the death of a human being, were forfeited to the Crown for pious uses.

mvp-comment-288-1 ἐν αἰκίαις ⁴⁵⁰

mvp-comment-289-1 καὶ πολύπους καὶ πολύχειρ ⁴⁵¹

mvp-comment-290-1 λόχοις ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-290-2 χαλκόπους ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-291-1 ἄλεκτρ’ ἄνυμφα ⁴⁵⁴

mvp-comment-291-2 γάμων ἁμιλλήμαθ’ ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-291-3 ἐπέβα ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-292-1 πρὸ τῶνδέ τοι … συνδρῶσιν ⁴⁵⁷

mvp-comment-292-2 Verses 495—497 (

) answer metrically to vv. 479—481 , where the text is certain, save for the doubt whether or should stand in 479. Here we must first decide two points.

mvp-comment-292-3 (1) Are the words πρὸ τῶνδε ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-292-4 (2) Could

(etc.) mean, ‘ the belief possesses me, that’ etc.? Surely not. No real parallel for so strange a phrase has been produced. It is irrelevant to quote those impersonal verbs which directly express the occurrence of a thought to the mind; as Xen. An. 6. 1. 17 (‘the thought came to them, how they might,’ etc.): Thuc. 6. 78. § 1 Either, then, the subject to has dropped out, or the words conceal a corruption.

mvp-comment-292-5 The following remedies are possible: I incline to the first, as involving least change. (1) Reading in 479

, we may read here | etc. (It may be remarked that is in harmony with the tone of in 479.) Another available word is (cp. Ant. 279 ). (2) Or, reading in 479 , we could read here . On either view, the of in 480 is long (as several critics have assumed). It should be noted that (1) involves a different constitution of the verses: see p. lxxxii.

mvp-comment-292-6 In those MSS. which have μή ποτε μή ποθ’ ἡμῖν ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-293-1 ἀψεγές ⁴⁶⁰ ἀψεφές ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-293-2 πελᾶν ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-294-1 τοῖς δρῶσι ⁴⁶³ τοῖς συνδρῶσιν ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-295-1 μαντεῖαι βροτῶν ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-296-1 εὖ κατασχήσει ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-297-1 ἱππεία ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-297-2 Oenomaüs, king of Pisa in Elis, had promised the hand of his daughter Hippodameia to the suitor who should defeat him in a chariot-race; the penalty of failure being death. The young Pelops, son of Tantalus, offered himself as a competitor. Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaüs, was persuaded (either by Hippodameia or by Pelops) to betray his master. He did so by leaving out one or both of the linch-pins by which the naves of the chariot-wheels were secured to the axles. Tzetzes on Lycophron 156

(= , the naves) . According to another story, he substituted a linch-pin of wax for a real one ( schol. Apoll. Rh. 752 ). So Pelops won the race, and the bride. But Oenomaüs was soon avenged on the traitor; for Myrtilus insulted Hippodameia, and was thrown into the sea by Pelops; upon whose house he invoked a curse, as he sank.

mvp-comment-297-3 Euripides, too, ( Or. 990 ff., Helen. 386 f.) refers to this chariot-race as the event with which the troubles of the Pelopidae began. Apollonius Rhodius briefly describes the critical moment of the race as one of the subjects embroidered on the cloak of Jason (1. 752 ff.); there Oenomaüs was seen, ‘falling sideways, as the axle broke at the naves of the wheels,’—

| .

mvp-comment-297-4 The eastern pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympia ( circ. 450 B.C.) was adorned with sculptures by Paeonius, representing the preparation for this contest ( Paus. 5. 10. 6 ). The fragments found on the site have sufficed for a reconstruction of the group. Zeus occupied the centre; to the right of him were Pelops and Hippodameia; to the left, Oenomaüs and his wife Steropè. On each side was a chariot drawn by four horses. Myrtilus was sitting in front of his team, with his face turned away from his master.

mvp-comment-297-5 In the older and nobler form of the myth, Pelops won, not by a fraud, but by the grace of Poseidon, who gave him winged horses (Pindar O. 1. 87

). On the chest ( ) of Cypselus, seen by Pausanias in the Heraeum at Olympia ( Paus. 5. 17. 5 ), Pelops was driving two winged horses.

mvp-comment-298-1 αἰανὴς ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-298-2 The form

has the best authority, and some critics hold that (Hesych.) was a Byzantine invention. But in Aesch. Eum. 416 , (so L, schol., and Tzetzes on Lycophron 406), is far less suitable.

mvp-comment-299-1 εὖτε ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-299-2 ὁ ποντισθεὶς Μυρτίλος ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-299-3 A vase found at Capua shows Pelops and Hippodameia in a ship, from which Myrtilus is falling backwards into the water. A winged Erinys hovers in the air above, brandishing a sword over the head of Pelops (Baumeister, Denkmäler p. 1204, referring to Mon. Inst. x. 25).

mvp-comment-299-4 ἐκοιμάθη ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-300-1 παγχρυσέων δίφρων ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-301-1 πρόρριζος ⁴⁷³

mvp-comment-301-2 ἐκριφθείς ⁴⁷⁴

mvp-comment-302-1 ἔλειπεν ⁴⁷⁵ ἔλιπεν ⁴⁷⁶ οἴκου ⁴⁷⁷ οἴκους ⁴⁷⁸ πω ⁴⁷⁹

mvp-comment-303-1 πολύπονος ⁴⁸⁰ αἰκία ⁴⁸¹

mvp-comment-304-1 ἀνειμένη ⁴⁸² μέν ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-304-2 ὡς ἔοικας ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-304-3 στρέφει ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-304-4 Clytaemnestra begins in the same strain as Chrysothemis, who likewise emphasised her reproof by the word αὖ ⁴⁸⁶

mvp-comment-305-1 μή τοι θυραίαν γ’ ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-305-2 αἰσχύνειν φίλους ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-306-1 καίτοι ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-306-2 δὴ ⁴⁹⁰ πολλούς ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-306-3 ἐξεῖπάς με … ὡς ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-306-4 θρασεῖα ⁴⁹³ τραχεῖα ⁴⁹⁴

mvp-comment-306-5 ἄρχω ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-307-1 ὕβριν … οὐκ ἔχω ⁴⁹⁶ κακῶς κλύουσα ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-308-1 πατὴρ γάρ ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-308-2 πρόσχημα ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-309-1 ἡ γὰρ Δίκη ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-310-1 ᾗ χρῆν σ’ ἀρήγειν ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-311-1 The order of words in the MSS.,

, is probably right; the words would then fall from her with a certain deliberate bitterness. Cp. 542 : Ant. 44 (n.): Ph. 101 .

mvp-comment-312-1 μοῦνος ⁵⁰² Ἑλλήνων ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-312-2 Nauck requires

instead of , because Agamemnon's unique crime was the slaughter of his own child: as if the text did not convey this. Clytaemnestra means, ‘while mourning a father, you forget a sister.’

mvp-comment-312-3 532 f. The regular mode of expression would be,

. But, having written , the poet explains by repeating the comparison in a new form, . (For or after , cp. Lys. or. 19 § 36

ἡγοῦντο... τὰ ἐκεῖ...εἶναι ἴσα ὥσπερ τὰ ἐνθάδε

.) Those who reject v. 533 omit to notice that, without it, the words would be unintelligible. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1417 | .

mvp-comment-312-4 This assertion of the mother's superior claim is a counterpart to the doctrine of Athena in Aesch. Eum. 658 f.,

| . Cp. above, Aesch. Eum. 366 n.

mvp-comment-313-1 τοῦ χάριν, τίνων ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-313-2 The alternative, which most editors have preferred, is to take

as the participle. But there is an insuperable objection to this, which seems to have escaped notice. The words, ; could mean only, ‘paying a debt of gratitude for what?’ They could not mean, ‘paying a debt of gratitude to whom?’ The latter would be ; See ( e.g.) Aesch. P. V. 985 : Aesch. Ag. 821 | . Hence the question, ; could not possibly be answered by . For, evidently, the latter word could not mean, (‘for a benefit conferred by) the Greeks.’ A scholiast in the Baroccian MS. (cr. n. on 545), who explains by , plainly meant, ‘showing gratitude for what?’—and his paraphrase was correct; only he overlooked the context.

mvp-comment-314-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ μετῆν ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-315-1 ἀλλ’ ἀντ’ ἀδελφοῦ δῆτα ⁵⁰⁶ κτανὼν ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-315-2 ἀντὶ ἀδελφοῦ ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-315-3 τἄμ’ ⁵⁰⁹

mvp-comment-316-1 παῖδες … διπλοῖ ⁵¹⁰

mvp-comment-316-2 540 f. Nauck would prefer a single verse in place of these two, viz.

.

mvp-comment-317-1 ἢ ⁵¹¹

mvp-comment-317-2 ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν Ἅιδης ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-318-1 δαίσασθαι ⁵¹³

mvp-comment-318-2 The conj. λῄσασθαι ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-319-1 πανώλει ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-319-2 παρεῖτο ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-319-3 The sense does not absolutely require us to take Μενέλεω δ’ ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-320-1 ἀβούλου ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-320-2 κακοῦ γνώμην ⁵¹⁹

mvp-comment-321-1 δοκῶ μέν ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-321-2 εἰ καὶ ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-322-1 εἰ φωνὴν λάβοι ⁵²²

mvp-comment-323-1 τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ⁵²³

mvp-comment-324-1 γνώμην δικαίαν σχοῦσα ⁵²⁴

mvp-comment-325-1 ἐρεῖς μὲν οὐχὶ ⁵²⁵ ἐρεῖς ⁵²⁶ ἐρεῖς … μ’ ὡς ⁵²⁷

mvp-comment-325-2 ἄρξασά τι λυπηρὸν ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-325-3 τάδ’ ἐξήκους’ ⁵²⁹

mvp-comment-326-1 τοῦ τεθνηκότος θ’ ὕπερ ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-327-1 καὶ μὴν ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-327-2 λόγους ἐξῆρχές με ⁵³²

mvp-comment-328-1 Clytaemnestra has argued that she was justified in slaying Agamemnon, because he had slain Iphigeneia. The topics of Electra's reply are as follows.

mvp-comment-328-2 (1) 558—562. The wife who slew her husband would be a criminal, even if the motive had been just retribution; but the real motive was her love for Aegisthus. (2) 563—576. Agamemnon was not a free agent in slaying Iphigeneia; the act was forced upon him by Artemis. (3) 577—583. Suppose, however, that he was a free agent, and wished to please his brother; still she was not justified in taking his life. (4) 584—594. And in any case her plea does not excuse her for living with the man who helped to slay her husband.—The speech then closes in a strain of reproach and defiance (595 —609).

mvp-comment-328-3 καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι ⁵³³ πατέρα ⁵³⁴ φὴς ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-329-1 εἴτ’ οὖν … εἴτε ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-329-2 λέξω ⁵³⁷ δείξω ⁵³⁸

mvp-comment-330-1 ὡς οὐ δίκῃ γ’ ⁵³⁹ ἔσπασεν ⁵⁴⁰ πειθὼ ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-331-1 κυναγὸν ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-331-2 ποινὰς ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-331-3 τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματ’ ἔσχ’ ⁵⁴⁴ τὰ πολλὰ ⁵⁴⁵ ἔσχε ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-331-4 Acc. to Aesch. ( Aesch. Ag. 149 f., Aesch. Ag. 192 ), the Greeks were detained by adverse winds, blowing from the N.E. : and this seems to have been the account given in the Cypria ( c. 776 B.C.), Proclus Chrest. p. 455:

. But other authorities speak of a calm. Thus I. A. 9 ff. | | . Schol. Eur. Or. 647 . Tzetzes on Lycophron 183 . Ovid ( Met. 13. 183 ) combines both versions:

mvp-comment-331-5 It has been objected that vessels provided with oars need not have been detained by a calm. But the ships of the Greek fleet were not light craft. Each carried from 50 to 120 armed men, besides

: and the warriors were also the rowers (cp. Thuc. 1. 10 ). It is intelligible, then, that they should await the aid of wind before attempting the passage of the Aegaean. We must remember, too, the strong and shifting currents in the Euripus ( , Soph. Ant. 1145 : , Aesch. Ag. 191 ).

mvp-comment-331-6 We cannot well render:—(1)‘He suffered those tedious winds,’—supplying

from v. 558. Nor: (2) ‘She directed those tedious winds at Aulis,’—a version which would at least require . Cp. Ph. 1119 | .

mvp-comment-331-7 The conjecture πλοῖα ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-331-8 Αὐλίδι ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-332-1 ἢ )γὼ φράσω ⁵⁴⁹ κείνης ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-333-1 ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-333-2 θεᾶς … κατ’ ἄλσος ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-333-3 παίζων ⁵⁵³

mvp-comment-333-4 ποδοῖν ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-334-1 ἔλαφον ⁵⁵⁵

mvp-comment-334-2 στικτὸν ⁵⁵⁶

mvp-comment-334-3 κεράστην ⁵⁵⁷

mvp-comment-334-4 οὗ κατὰ σφαγὰς ⁵⁵⁸

mvp-comment-335-1 ἐκκομπάσας ἔπος τι τυγχάνει ⁵⁵⁹ βαλών ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-335-2 This is the reason against taking

with , as=‘he shoots and hits’; cp. Il. 15. 581 : Her. 3. 35 . The vaunt must then precede the hit.

mvp-comment-335-3 Others take βαλὼν ⁵⁶¹ ἔπος ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-335-4 Monk, with Musgrave, took σφαγὰς ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-336-1 ἐκ τοῦδε ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-336-2 μηνίσασα ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-336-3 Λητῴα κόρη ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-337-1 ὡς ⁵⁶⁷ ἀντίσταθμον ⁵⁶⁸

mvp-comment-337-2 ἐκθύσειε ⁵⁶⁹

mvp-comment-338-1 ὧδ’ ἦν ⁵⁷⁰

mvp-comment-338-2 τὰ … θύματ’ ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-338-3 λύσις ⁵⁷²

mvp-comment-338-4 πρὸς οἶκον ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-339-1 πολλὰ ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-339-2 ἀντιβὰς ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-339-3 μόλις ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-340-1 εἰ δ’ οὖν ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-340-2 ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σόν ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-341-1 τούτου … οὕνεκ’ ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-341-2 νόμῳ ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-342-1 ὅρα ⁵⁸¹ μὴ … τιθῇς ⁵⁸² τίθης ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-342-2 Here, either

or would be suitable. (1) With :—‘See that, in making this rule, you are not making woe for yourself.’ This means that to make the rule (as she is doing) is at once (logically) to make the woe. (2) With : —‘See lest, in making this rule, you make woe for yourself’: i.e., the rule may have the woe as a consequence. The woe is a future contingency (583 ), against which Electra warns her. On the whole, I now prefer . Cp. 1003 | : fr. 82 .

mvp-comment-342-3 τιθεῖσα … νόμον ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-343-1 εἰ γὰρ κτενοῦμεν ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-343-2 πρώτη ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-344-1 εἰσόρα ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-344-2 οὐκ οὖσαν ⁵⁸⁸

mvp-comment-344-3 τίθης ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-344-4 εἰ … θέλεις ⁵⁹⁰

mvp-comment-345-1 τῷ παλαμναίῳ ⁵⁹¹

mvp-comment-345-2 πρόσθεν ἐξαπώλεσας ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-346-1 παιδοποιεῖς ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-346-2 Erigonè, daughter of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra (Tzetzes on Lyc. 1374 ), was mentioned by the early cyclic poet Cinaethon ( Paus. 2. 18. 6 ), and was the theme of Sophocles in his

. Hyginus ( Hyg. Fab. 122 ) notices a son of Aegisthus named Aletes, who gives his name to a play by Sophocles, but does not record the mother: see p. xliii note 4.

mvp-comment-346-3 εὐσεβεῖς ⁵⁹⁴

mvp-comment-346-4 κἀξ εὐσεβῶν ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-346-5 By

Electra means Orestes and herself. Both are ‘cast out’ of their just rights. Cp. O.T. 611 . Eur. El. 62 |

mvp-comment-346-6 βλαστόντας ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-346-7 ἐκβαλοῦσ’ ἔχεις ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-347-1 πῶς ταῦτ’ ἐπαινέσαιμ’ ἄν ⁵⁹⁸

mvp-comment-347-2 ἢ ⁵⁹⁹ ἦ ⁶⁰⁰ καὶ τοῦτ’ ⁶⁰¹ ἄποινα ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-348-1 αἰσχρῶς δ’ ⁶⁰³ δ’ ⁶⁰⁴

mvp-comment-348-2 ἐάν περ καὶ λέγῃς ⁶⁰⁵

mvp-comment-348-3 ἐχθροῖς γαμεῖσθαι ⁶⁰⁶

mvp-comment-348-4 These two verses, though not indispensable, seem genuine. Were they omitted, the transition from 592 to 595 would be somewhat abrupt.

mvp-comment-349-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-349-2 πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν ⁶⁰⁸

mvp-comment-350-1 κακοστομοῦμεν ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-350-2 καί σ’ ἔγωγε δεσπότιν ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-350-3 εἰς ἡμᾶς ⁶¹¹ ἣ ⁶¹²

mvp-comment-351-1 βίον μοχθηρόν ⁶¹³

mvp-comment-351-2 ἔκ τε σοῦ ⁶¹⁴ κακοῖς … ξυνοῦσα ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-351-3 συννόμου ⁶¹⁶

mvp-comment-352-1 ὁ δ’ ἄλλος ⁶¹⁷

mvp-comment-352-2 χεῖρα σὴν ⁶¹⁸

mvp-comment-352-3 τρίβει βίον ⁶¹⁹

mvp-comment-352-4 603 The reason for writing δή με σοὶ ⁶²⁰ δή μέ σοι ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-352-5 μιάστορα ⁶²²

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦδέ γ’ οὕνεκα ⁶²³

mvp-comment-354-1 εἰς ἅπαντας ⁶²⁴

mvp-comment-354-2 χρῇς ⁶²⁵

mvp-comment-354-3 στόμαργον ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-355-1 τῶνδε τῶν ἔ|ργων ἴδρις ⁶²⁷

mvp-comment-355-2 σχεδόν τι ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-355-3 οὐ καταισχύνω ⁶²⁹

mvp-comment-356-1 ὁρῶ μένος πνέουσαν ⁶³⁰ μένος πνέουσαν ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-356-2 σὺν δίκῃ ξύνεστι ⁶³²

mvp-comment-356-3 Other interpretations are:—(1) ‘I see that Electra is wroth; but as to whether she is in the right, I see no concern (anywhere),’—a timid way of saying that Clytaemnestra shows no such concern. So the schol. (2) ‘I see that Clytaemnestra is angry, but not that she cares whether she is right’:—an inference from some gesture. Both these versions rely on the fact that

(612) is plainly an echo of (611). But: ( a) it does not follow that is not Electra's thought. ( b) It is surely clear that must be Electra; and ( c) as in Ant. 471 f., the second clause naturally refers to the same person.

mvp-comment-357-1 ποίας δ’ ἐμοὶ δεῖ ⁶³³ ἐμοὶ ⁶³⁴ μοι ⁶³⁵ δεῖ ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-357-2 Others understand: (1) ‘If Electra has no consideration for justice, why should I have any consideration for her,— i.e., show her any tenderness?’ Or: (2) ‘If she heeds not justice, why should I heed her?’ Neither view seems well suited to the context.

mvp-comment-358-1 καὶ ταῦτα ⁶³⁷

mvp-comment-358-2 τηλικοῦτος ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-358-3 ἆρα ⁶³⁹

mvp-comment-358-4 χωρεῖν ἂν ⁶⁴⁰ εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-359-1 εὖ νυν ἐπίστω ⁶⁴²

mvp-comment-359-2 ἔξωρα ⁶⁴³

mvp-comment-359-3 προσεικότα ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-360-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ⁶⁴⁵

mvp-comment-360-2 ἡ … ἐκ σοῦ δυσμένεια ⁶⁴⁶

mvp-comment-360-3 ἐξαναγκάζει ⁶⁴⁷ αἰσχροῖς ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-360-4 622 f. The word θρέμμα ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-360-5 ἦ σ’ ἐγὼ ⁶⁵⁰

mvp-comment-361-1 νιν ⁶⁵¹

mvp-comment-361-2 εὑρίσκεται ⁶⁵²

mvp-comment-361-3 Cp. Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus (in his Prose Works, ed. Symmons, vol. I. p. 236): ‘I might also tell them [the prelates], what Electra in Sophocles, a wise virgin, answered her wicked mother, who thought herself too violently reproved by her the daughter: ‘' Tis you that say it, not I; you do the deeds, | And your ungodly deeds find me the words.’’

mvp-comment-362-1 οὐ μὰ ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-362-2 δέσποιναν ⁶⁵⁴

mvp-comment-362-3 Ἄρτεμιν ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-362-4 θράσους τοῦδ’ οὐκ ἀλύξεις ⁶⁵⁶ μόλῃ ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-363-1 ὁρᾷς ⁶⁵⁸

mvp-comment-363-2 ἐκφέρει ⁶⁵⁹

mvp-comment-363-3 The v. l. παρεῖσα ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-364-1 οὐδὲ ⁶⁶¹

mvp-comment-364-2 ὑπ’ εὐφήμου βοῆς ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-364-3 ἐπειδὴ σοί γ’ ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-364-4 πᾶν λέγειν ⁶⁶⁴

mvp-comment-365-1 κελεύω ⁶⁶⁵

mvp-comment-365-2 τοὐμὸν στόμ’ ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-365-3 634 f. An altar, and probably an image, of Apollo stand before the palace. The attendant of Clytaemnestra carries offerings of various fruits, which she is now commanded to raise, as with a gesture of solemn oblation ( ἔπαιρε ⁶⁶⁷

mvp-comment-365-4 ἡ παροῦσά μοι ⁶⁶⁸

mvp-comment-365-5 θύματα … πάγκαρπα ⁶⁶⁹

mvp-comment-366-1 λυτηρίους … δειμάτων ⁶⁷⁰

mvp-comment-366-2 ἀνάσχω ⁶⁷¹

mvp-comment-367-1 κλύοις ἂν ⁶⁷²

mvp-comment-367-2 προστατήριε ⁶⁷³

mvp-comment-368-1 κεκρυμμένην ⁶⁷⁴

mvp-comment-368-2 οὐ γὰρ ἐν φίλοις ⁶⁷⁵

mvp-comment-369-1 πρὸς φῶς ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-370-1 πολυγλώσσῳ ⁶⁷⁷

mvp-comment-370-2 σπείρῃ ⁶⁷⁸

mvp-comment-370-3 ματαίαν ⁶⁷⁹

mvp-comment-371-1 ὧδ’ ⁶⁸⁰

mvp-comment-372-1 γὰρ ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-372-2 δισσῶν ὀνείρων ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-372-3 Jacobs Fr.( ap. Wunder) understood, ‘ two dreams,’—as if Clyt.'s vision consisted of two parts,—the return of Agamemnon, and the growth from the sceptre (417—423). This seems forced. Still less can we assume that there was some second dream which Clyt. did not relate even to the Sun-god (425).

mvp-comment-372-4 Λύκεἰ ἄναξ ⁶⁸³

mvp-comment-373-1 ἐσθλά … ἐχθρά ⁶⁸⁴

mvp-comment-373-2 Cp. Aesch. Pers. 217 , where the Chorus are advising Atossa how to propitiate the gods after her dream:

, |

mvp-comment-373-3 ἔμπαλιν μέθες ⁶⁸⁵

mvp-comment-374-1 εἴ τινες ⁶⁸⁶

mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλ’ ὧδε ⁶⁸⁷

mvp-comment-375-2 ἀβλαβεῖ βίῳ ⁶⁸⁸

mvp-comment-376-1 δόμους ⁶⁸⁹

mvp-comment-376-2 ἀμφέπειν ⁶⁹⁰

mvp-comment-376-3 φίλοισι ⁶⁹¹

mvp-comment-377-1 εὐημεροῦσαν ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-377-2 καὶ τέκνων ⁶⁹³ ὅσων ⁶⁹⁴

mvp-comment-377-3 We might also take

as standing, by attraction, for . When the antecedent is thus attracted, it usually comes after the relative ( O.C. 56); but sometimes precedes it, as in Tr. 151 f. ... | ... (for ) . In examples of the latter kind, however, the acc. (and not, as it would be here, the dat.) is elsewhere the case attracted. In favour of taking as partitive, it may be added that this suits the distinction between two groups of . By she means Chrysothemis, Iphianassa, and the offspring o<*> her union with Aegisthus (157; 589).

mvp-comment-377-4 ἐμοὶ … πρόσεστιν ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-378-1 πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ⁶⁹⁶

mvp-comment-379-1 τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα ⁶⁹⁷

mvp-comment-379-2 660 Following the directions given in vv. 39 ff., the Paedagogus now appears as a

. Cp. O.T. 924 ff., where the messenger from Corinth presents himself to Iocasta and the Chorus.

mvp-comment-379-3 πῶς ἂν εἰδείην ⁶⁹⁸

mvp-comment-380-1 ἦ καὶ ⁶⁹⁹

mvp-comment-380-2 ἐπεικάζων κυρῶ ⁷⁰⁰

mvp-comment-380-3 πρέπ<*> γὰρ ⁷⁰¹

mvp-comment-381-1 μάλιστα πάντων ⁷⁰²

mvp-comment-381-2 ἥδε σοι κείνη πάρα ⁷⁰³

mvp-comment-381-3 666 f. The ὦ ⁷⁰⁴ χαῖρε ⁷⁰⁵

mvp-comment-382-1 ἐδεξάμην τὸ ῥηθέν ⁷⁰⁶

mvp-comment-382-2 Instant recognition of an utterance as well-omened was a way of appropriating the omen. The proper formula was

or ( Her. 9. 91 ; Ar. Pl. 63 ). But alone was enough ( Xen. An. 1. 8. 17 : cp. Aesch. Ag. 1653 ). The phrase used here recurs in Her. 8. 114 : cp. also Eur. El. 622

προσηκάμην τὸ ῥηθέν

.

mvp-comment-382-3 εἰδέναι … σου ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-383-1 Φανοτεὺς ⁷⁰⁸

mvp-comment-383-2 πρᾶγμα πορσύνων μέγα ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-384-1 τὸ ποῖον ⁷¹⁰

mvp-comment-385-1 ἐν βραχεῖ ξυνθεὶς ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-386-1 τί φής, τί φής ⁷¹² ξεῖνε ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-386-2 ταύτης ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-387-1 νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-388-1 οὐδέν εἰμ’ ἔτι ⁷¹⁶

mvp-comment-389-1 τὰ σαυτῆς πρᾶσς’ ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-389-2 διόλλυται ⁷¹⁸

mvp-comment-390-1 κἀπεμπόμην ⁷¹⁹ καὶ … φράσω ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-391-1 γὰρ ⁷²¹

mvp-comment-392-1 πρόσχημ’ ἀγῶνος ⁷²² Ἑλλάδος ⁷²³

mvp-comment-392-2 πρόσχημα ⁷²⁴

mvp-comment-392-3 Δελφ. ἄθλων ⁷²⁵

mvp-comment-393-1 ὀρθίων ⁷²⁶

mvp-comment-393-2 δρόμον … οὗ πρώτη κρίσις ⁷²⁷

mvp-comment-394-1 εἰσῆλθε ⁷²⁸

mvp-comment-395-1 ἰσώσας * τἀφέσει ⁷²⁹ τῇ φύσει ⁷³⁰

mvp-comment-395-2 Now there is evidence that the customary order for the foot-races was, 1.

, 2. , 3. . See Boeckh C. I. G. no. 1590 and 1591 (referring to games at Thespiae, circ. 240 B.C.): also no. 2214 (games at Chios, circ. 100—80 B.C.). Paus. 6. 13. 3 (of the athlete Polites at Olympia), . It would agree, then, with the words (684) if the were meant here. [As to Legg. 833 D, see Appendix.]

mvp-comment-395-3 For

as=‘starting-place,’ cp. Suidas ( s.v. ): : Paus. 6. 20. 9 : id. 5. 15. 5 —Dindorf notes that in Aristeides vol. I. p. 339 the words were corrupted to .

mvp-comment-395-4 The proposed versions of the vulgate τῇ φύσει ⁷³¹

mvp-comment-396-1 νίκης … γέρας ⁷³²

mvp-comment-397-1 χὥπως μὲν ⁷³³

mvp-comment-397-2 Others explain:—

: ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds to you briefly, when they were so many.’ The place of can be justified by O.T. 1251. But: (1) thus construed, the words ought to mean, ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds as few.’ The other meaning would require , or the like. And (2) is then awkward.

mvp-comment-398-1 ὅσων ⁷³⁴

mvp-comment-398-2 εἰσεκήρυξαν ⁷³⁵

mvp-comment-398-3 βραβῆς ⁷³⁶

mvp-comment-399-1 δρομων διαύλων ⁷³⁷

mvp-comment-399-2 On the whole, I should incline to delete 691, and alter

in 692 to .

mvp-comment-400-1 ἐνεγκὼν ⁷³⁸

mvp-comment-400-2 τἀπινίκια ⁷³⁹

mvp-comment-401-1 ὠλβίζετ’ ⁷⁴⁰ ἀνακαλ ⁷⁴¹

mvp-comment-401-2 Ἀγαμέμνονος ⁷⁴²

mvp-comment-401-3 ἀγείραντος ⁷⁴³

mvp-comment-402-1 καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τοιαῦθ’ ⁷⁴⁴

mvp-comment-402-2 βλάπτῃ ⁷⁴⁵

mvp-comment-402-3 ἰσχύων ⁷⁴⁶

mvp-comment-403-1 ἄλλης ἡμέρας ⁷⁴⁷

mvp-comment-403-2 ἱππικῶν ⁷⁴⁸

mvp-comment-404-1 ἡλίου τέλλοντος ⁷⁴⁹

mvp-comment-404-2 The Pythian hippodrome was in the Crisaean plain (180 n.), near its upper or northern end, where the rocky gorge of the river Pleistus opens upon a level tract. The site of Crisa, on a spur of Parnassus, overlooked it from the north, and Delphi from the north-east. Beautiful as was Olympia, the scene of the Pythian festival was unrivalled in the grandeur of its natural surroundings.

mvp-comment-405-1 Ἀχαιός ⁷⁵⁰

mvp-comment-406-1 Λίβυες ⁷⁵¹

mvp-comment-406-2 ζυγωτῶν ⁷⁵² ἐπιστάται ⁷⁵³

mvp-comment-407-1 κἀκεῖνος ⁷⁵⁴

mvp-comment-407-2 ἐν τούτοισι ⁷⁵⁵ ἐπὶ ⁷⁵⁶

mvp-comment-407-3 Θεσσαλὰς … ἵππους ⁷⁵⁷

mvp-comment-408-1 ξανθαῖσι ⁷⁵⁸

mvp-comment-408-2 πώλοις ⁷⁵⁹

mvp-comment-408-3 Μάγνης ⁷⁶⁰

mvp-comment-409-1 λεύκιππος ⁷⁶¹

mvp-comment-409-2 Αἰνιὰν ⁷⁶²

mvp-comment-410-1 τῶν θεοδμήτων ⁷⁶³

mvp-comment-411-1 ἄλλος ⁷⁶⁴ ἐκπληρῶν ⁷⁶⁵

mvp-comment-412-1 στάντες ⁷⁶⁶

mvp-comment-412-2 †ὅθ’ αὐτοὺς ⁷⁶⁷ ὅθ’ ⁷⁶⁸ ἵν’ ⁷⁶⁹ ὅτ’ ⁷⁷⁰

mvp-comment-412-3 βραβῆς ⁷⁷¹ οἱ τεταγμένοι ⁷⁷²

mvp-comment-412-4 710 *

. I should much prefer to read in 709: but is defensible, and I refrain from change. Two views are possible; the first is generally received, and is perhaps simplest. (1) depends on as= : cp. Ar. Eccl. 683 , ‘I will place them all by lot,’ | See above on 123, Ar. Eccl. 556. (2) = , a parenthetic construction ( ), so that is governed by only, and is a second acc., defining , as in ( Soph. Ph. 1301 ). See on 466

f.

mvp-comment-412-5 ἔπηλαν ⁷⁷³

mvp-comment-413-1 χαλκῆς ⁷⁷⁴

mvp-comment-413-2 ὑπαὶ ⁷⁷⁵

mvp-comment-413-3 οἱ δ’ ⁷⁷⁶

mvp-comment-414-1 ὁμοκλήσαντες ⁷⁷⁷

mvp-comment-415-1 ἐν δὲ ⁷⁷⁸

mvp-comment-415-2 κροτητῶν ⁷⁷⁹

mvp-comment-415-3 I formerly took

as=‘welded,’ ‘hammered,’ with ref. to the metal-work of the chariots: cp. Il. 23. 503 : 10. 438 : 4. 226 . (Cp. Helbig, H. E. p. 90.) For this sense of , cp. Pind. fr. 194 .

mvp-comment-416-1 φορεῖθ’ ⁷⁸⁰

mvp-comment-417-1 κέντρων ⁷⁸¹

mvp-comment-417-2 ὡς ὑπερβάλοι ⁷⁸² τις ⁷⁸³

mvp-comment-417-3 χνόας ⁷⁸⁴

mvp-comment-417-4 φρυάγμαθ’ ἱππικά ⁷⁸⁵

mvp-comment-418-1 ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἀμφὶ νῶτα ⁷⁸⁶

mvp-comment-418-2 τροχῶν βάσεις ⁷⁸⁷

mvp-comment-418-3 εἰσέβαλλον ⁷⁸⁸

mvp-comment-419-1 ὑπ’ αὐτὴν ⁷⁸⁹

mvp-comment-419-2 ἐσχάτην στήλην ⁷⁹⁰

mvp-comment-420-1 ἔχριμπτ’ ἀεὶ σύριγγα ⁷⁹¹ ἔχριμπτ’ ⁷⁹²

mvp-comment-420-2 δεξιὸν δ’ ἀνεὶς κ.τ.λ. ⁷⁹³

mvp-comment-420-3 Sophocles has in mind the words of Nestor to Antilochus, Il. 23. 336

| | , | | (‘so that just the nave of the well-wrought wheel may seem to graze it’).

mvp-comment-421-1 πρὶν μὲν ⁷⁹⁴ ἔπειτα δ’ ⁷⁹⁵

mvp-comment-421-2 ἕστασαν ⁷⁹⁶

mvp-comment-422-1 ἄστομοι ⁷⁹⁷

mvp-comment-422-2 βίᾳ φέρουσιν ⁷⁹⁸

mvp-comment-422-3 ἐκ δ’ ὑποστροφῆς ⁷⁹⁹

mvp-comment-423-1 τελοῦντες κ.τ.λ. ⁸⁰⁰

mvp-comment-423-2 The Aenian, closely followed by the others, had just completed his sixth

, or double course, in the hippodrome: i.e., he had just passed, for the sixth time, round the goal nearest to the starting-place, and was on the point of beginning his seventh course. Just as he was passing the goal, his horses bolted. Hence he could not work them quite round into the track. They turned out of the left-ward curve ( ), and ran straight on. Meanwhile, one of the two Libyan chariots had swept round the goal in a wider circle, on the Aenian's right. The Aenian's horses dashed head-foremost into the Libyan's team, striking it on the left side.

mvp-comment-423-3 In the four - horse chariot - race at Olympia the number of double courses was twelve. Hence the goal farthest from the starting-place is

| ( Pind. O. 3. 33 : cp. Pind. O. 2. 55 , Pind. O. 6. 75 , Pind. P. 5. 33 ). If the (=4 stadia) be taken as the length of one double course in the hippodrome, twelve such courses give about 51/2 English miles. (Cp. art. Hippodromus in Smith's Dict. Ant., 3rd ed., p. 965 a.)

mvp-comment-423-4 Βαρκαίοις ὄχοις ⁸⁰¹

mvp-comment-424-1 ἐξ ἑνὸς κακοῦ ⁸⁰² ἔθραυε καὶ ἐνέπιπτε ⁸⁰³

mvp-comment-424-2 ναυαγίων ⁸⁰⁴

mvp-comment-424-3 Κρισαῖον … πέδον ⁸⁰⁵

mvp-comment-425-1 γνοὺς δ’ ⁸⁰⁶

mvp-comment-425-2 κἀνοκωχεύει ⁸⁰⁷

mvp-comment-425-3 κλύδων’ ⁸⁰⁸

mvp-comment-426-1 ἔσχατος μὲν ⁸⁰⁹

mvp-comment-426-2 ὑστέρας ἔχων ⁸¹⁰ φέρων ⁸¹¹ πίστιν φέρων ⁸¹²

mvp-comment-426-3 Those who read

understand, ‘last, indeed, but last by his own choice.’ This is possible, but less simple. The after probably led to the insertion of .

mvp-comment-426-4 Wunder cp. Acad. Pr. 2. 29. 94 Ego enim, ut agitator callidus, prius quam ad finem veniam, equos sustinebo.

mvp-comment-427-1 ὅπως δ’ ὁρᾷ ⁸¹³

mvp-comment-428-1 ἐνσείσας. ⁸¹⁴

mvp-comment-429-1 κἀξισώσαντε ζυγὰ ⁸¹⁵

mvp-comment-429-2 τότ’ … ἄλλοθ’ ⁸¹⁶

mvp-comment-429-3 ἄλλος … ἅτερος ⁸¹⁷

mvp-comment-429-4 κάρα προβάλλων ⁸¹⁸

mvp-comment-429-5 For προβάλλων ⁸¹⁹

mvp-comment-430-1 τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους πάντας ⁸²⁰

mvp-comment-430-2 ἀσφαλεῖς ⁸²¹

mvp-comment-430-3 ὠρθοῦθ’ ⁸²² ὀρθὸς ἐξ ὀρθῶν δί‐ ⁸²³ φρων ⁸²⁴

mvp-comment-431-1 λύων ἡνίαν ἀριστερὰν ⁸²⁵

mvp-comment-432-1 χνόας ⁸²⁶ μέσας ⁸²⁷

mvp-comment-433-1 ἀντύγων ⁸²⁸

mvp-comment-433-2 σὺν δ’ ἑλίσσεται ⁸²⁹ τμητοῖς ⁸³⁰

mvp-comment-434-1 διεσπάρησαν εἰς μέσον δρόμον ⁸³¹

mvp-comment-434-2 Cp. Il. 23. 467

, | [ sc. ] (‘rushed out of the course’).

mvp-comment-435-1 στρατὸς ⁸³²

mvp-comment-435-2 δίφρων ⁸³³

mvp-comment-435-3 ἀνωλόλυξε ⁸³⁴

mvp-comment-435-4 οἷ’ … οἷα ⁸³⁵

mvp-comment-436-1 φορούμενος πρὸς οὖδας ⁸³⁶

mvp-comment-436-2 ἄλλοτ’ ⁸³⁷

mvp-comment-436-3 οὐρανῷ σκέλη προφαίνων ⁸³⁸

mvp-comment-437-1 διφρηλάται ⁸³⁹

mvp-comment-437-2 κατασχεθόντες ⁸⁴⁰

mvp-comment-438-1 κέαντες ⁸⁴¹

mvp-comment-438-2 ἐν βραχεῖ χαλκῷ ⁸⁴²

mvp-comment-438-3 μέγιστον ⁸⁴³

mvp-comment-438-4 σῶμα … σποδοῦ ⁸⁴⁴

mvp-comment-438-5 Cp. Aesch. Ag. 440 (Ares)

| | . Suppl. 1130 | . Propert. 2. 9. 13 (Briseïs with the ashes of Achilles), et tanti corpus Achillei | Maximaque in parva sustulit ossa manu.

mvp-comment-439-1 ἄνδρες Φωκέων ⁸⁴⁵

mvp-comment-439-2 ἐκλάχῃ ⁸⁴⁶

mvp-comment-440-1 τοιαῦτά σοι ⁸⁴⁷ ταῦτ’ ἐστίν ⁸⁴⁸

mvp-comment-440-2 ὡς μὲν ἐν λόγῳ ⁸⁴⁹

mvp-comment-440-3 τοῖς δ’ ἰδ., οἵπερ εἴδομεν ⁸⁵⁰

mvp-comment-440-4 764 f. The word δεσπόταισι ⁸⁵¹

mvp-comment-440-5 πρόρριζον ⁸⁵²

mvp-comment-441-1 ὦ Ζεῦ ⁸⁵³

mvp-comment-441-2 λέγω ⁸⁵⁴

mvp-comment-442-1 τῷ νῦν λόγῳ ⁸⁵⁵

mvp-comment-443-1 δεινὸν ⁸⁵⁶

mvp-comment-443-2 πάσχοντι ⁸⁵⁷ ὧν τέκῃ ⁸⁵⁸

mvp-comment-444-1 μάτην ἄρ’ ἡμεῖς κ.τ.λ. ⁸⁵⁹

mvp-comment-445-1 μάτην λέγοις ⁸⁶⁰

mvp-comment-446-1 ψυχῆς ⁸⁶¹

mvp-comment-447-1 μαστῶν κ.τ.λ. ⁸⁶²

mvp-comment-447-2 ἀποστὰς ⁸⁶³

mvp-comment-447-3 ἀπεξενοῦτο ⁸⁶⁴

mvp-comment-448-1 φόνους ⁸⁶⁵

mvp-comment-449-1 ὥστ’ οὔτε … στεγάζειν ⁸⁶⁶

mvp-comment-449-2 ἐξ ἡμέρας ⁸⁶⁷

mvp-comment-449-3 στεψάζειν ⁸⁶⁸

mvp-comment-449-4 ὁ προστατῶν χρόνος ⁸⁶⁹

mvp-comment-449-5 διῆγε ⁸⁷⁰

mvp-comment-449-6 783 f. The perf. ἀπήλλαγμαι ⁸⁷¹

mvp-comment-449-7 μείζων ⁸⁷²

mvp-comment-450-1 τοὐμὸν ⁸⁷³

mvp-comment-450-2 ἐκπίνους’ ⁸⁷⁴

mvp-comment-450-3 ἄκρατον ⁸⁷⁵

mvp-comment-450-4 νῦν δ’ ⁸⁷⁶

mvp-comment-450-5 ἕκηλα ⁸⁷⁷

mvp-comment-450-6 οὕνεχ’ ⁸⁷⁸

mvp-comment-450-7 ἡμερεύσομεν ⁸⁷⁹

mvp-comment-451-1 οἴμοι τάλαινα ⁸⁸⁰

mvp-comment-451-2 οἰμῶξαι ⁸⁸¹

mvp-comment-452-1 ἆρ’ ἔχει καλῶς ⁸⁸²

mvp-comment-453-1 οὔτοι σὺ ⁸⁸³

mvp-comment-454-1 Νέμεσι ⁸⁸⁴

mvp-comment-454-2 τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως ⁸⁸⁵

mvp-comment-454-3 Nemesis is the goddess who requires that each man should receive his due (

, Mund. 7. p. 401 b. 13). The ‘Nemesis of the dead man’ is the avenger of wrong done to him; as the Greeks said ( Aesch. Ag. 1432 ), . Cp. Aesch. fr. 266 (‘ our Nemesis’) , | . At Athens were certain rites in honour of the dead ( Dem. or. 41 § 11 ), (Bekker Anecd. I. 282). Nemesis appears in art, too, as a goddess of the dead (Baumeister, Denkm., p. 1008).

mvp-comment-455-1 ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ ⁸⁸⁶

mvp-comment-455-2 κἀπεκύρωσεν ⁸⁸⁷

mvp-comment-456-1 οὔκουν … τάδε ⁸⁸⁸

mvp-comment-457-1 οὐχ ὅπως σε παύσομεν ⁸⁸⁹

mvp-comment-458-1 πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις ⁸⁹⁰ ἔπαυσας ⁸⁹¹ παύσαις ⁸⁹²

mvp-comment-458-2 πολλῶν ⁸⁹³ ἄξιος ⁸⁹⁴ τυχεῖν ⁸⁹⁵

mvp-comment-459-1 εὖ κυρεῖ ⁸⁹⁶

mvp-comment-459-2 800 f. With πράξειας ⁸⁹⁷

mvp-comment-459-3 The emendations which aim at introducing

seem, then, superfluous. The change of καταξίως ⁸⁹⁸ πράξειας ⁸⁹⁹

mvp-comment-459-4 τοῦ πορεύς. ξένου ⁹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-460-1 τῶν φίλων ⁹⁰¹

mvp-comment-461-1 ἆρ’ ὑμὶν ⁹⁰²

mvp-comment-461-2 ὧδ’ ⁹⁰³

mvp-comment-462-1 ὥς μ’ ἀπώλεσας θανών ⁹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-463-1 ἀποσπάσας ⁹⁰⁵ αἵ ⁹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-464-1 μολεῖν ⁹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-465-1 δουλεύειν ⁹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-465-2 πάλιν ⁹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-466-1 ἆρά μοι καλῶς ἔχει ⁹¹⁰

mvp-comment-467-1 τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνου ⁹¹¹

mvp-comment-467-2 818 *

, Hermann's correction of , is made certain by . No dative is needed to explain ξύνοικος ⁹¹²

mvp-comment-468-1 παρεῖσ’ ἐμαυτὴν ⁹¹³

mvp-comment-468-2 αὐανῶ ⁹¹⁴

mvp-comment-469-1 χάρις ⁹¹⁵

mvp-comment-470-1 Kommos. 1st strophe, 823—835, =1st antistr., 836—848: 2nd str., 849—859, =2nd antistr., 860—870. For metres see Metrical Analysis. Changes of person occur within a verse (as in 829 ff.,

; ). This indicates that the Chorus is here represented by the coryphaeus; it is, in fact, a lyric duet between the leader and Electra. Similar duets occur in O. T. 649 —697 and O. C. 510 —548, passages which further resemble this as being inserted in : also in the parodos of the O. C.(as at 178 ff.), and its exodos (as at 1677 ff.): and in Ph. 1081 —1217 (as at 1184 f.).

mvp-comment-470-2 These lyrics mark the climax of Electra's grief. The comforter vainly seeks to rouse her from despair.

mvp-comment-470-3 ποῦ ποτε ⁹¹⁶

mvp-comment-470-4 φαέθων ⁹¹⁷

mvp-comment-470-5 ἐφορῶντες ⁹¹⁸

mvp-comment-470-6 κρύπτουσιν ⁹¹⁹

mvp-comment-471-1 τί δακρύεις ⁹²⁰

mvp-comment-472-1 μηδὲν μέγ’ ἀΰσῃς ⁹²¹

mvp-comment-472-2 ἀΰσῃς ⁹²²

mvp-comment-473-1 ἀπολεῖς ⁹²³

mvp-comment-474-1 τῶν … οἰχομένων ⁹²⁴ φανερῶς ⁹²⁵ ἐλπίδα ⁹²⁶

mvp-comment-475-1 κατ’ ἐμοῦ τακομένας ⁹²⁷ ἐπεμβάσει ⁹²⁸ κατ’ ἐμοὶ τακομένᾳ ⁹²⁹

mvp-comment-476-1 οἶδα γὰρ ⁹³⁰

mvp-comment-476-2 Ἀμφιάρεων ⁹³¹ ἄνακτα ⁹³²

mvp-comment-477-1 χρυσοδέτοις ἕρκεσι ⁹³³ γυναικῶν ⁹³⁴

mvp-comment-477-2 κρυφθέντα ⁹³⁵

mvp-comment-477-3 Some vase-paintings, representing the departure of Amphiaraüs for Thebes, show Eriphylè carrying the bribe in her hand. In one of these, on a very ancient vase from Caere, it appears as a necklace of large white pearls (Baumeister, Denkm. p. 67): in another, on a lekythos from Cervetri (Roscher, Lex.p. 295), it is a collar, with projecting rays.

mvp-comment-478-1 ἒ ἔ· ἰώ ⁹³⁶

mvp-comment-479-1 πάμψυχος ⁹³⁷

mvp-comment-479-2 The cult of Amphiaraüs had its chief seat in Boeotia, but afterwards spread thence to Argos, and throughout Greece. He was a chthonian deity, like Melampus; associated with Dionysus, and then with the Apollinar

. The near Thebes, a dream-oracle, was consulted by Mardonius ( Her. 8. 134 ). In later times the shrine near Oropus was more famous ( I. Paus. 34. 2 ).

mvp-comment-480-1 φεῦ ⁹³⁸

mvp-comment-480-2 φεῦ δῆτ’ ⁹³⁹ ὀλοὰ γὰρ ⁹⁴⁰ ἐδάμη ⁹⁴¹ ὀλοὰ ⁹⁴²

mvp-comment-480-3 ἐδάμη ⁹⁴³ ναί ⁹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-481-1 μελέτωρ ⁹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-481-2 Amphiaraüs was avenged by his son Alcmaeon ,—the counterpart, in this story, of Orestes. Before setting out for Thebes, the seer had charged him with this duty. Eriphylè, bribed once more, prevailed upon her son to lead the Epigoni against Thebes. After its fall, he returned to Argos, and slew her. Pursued by the Erinyes, he fled to Psophis in Arcadia, and there was purified. He was the subject of a play by Sophocles, and of two by Euripides,—the first,

(produced in 438 B.C.), dealing with his absolution, and the second, , with a later episode. Acc. to a grammarian in Anecd. Oxon. II. p. 337, 4, the form of the name used by Eur. was .

mvp-comment-482-1 τὸν ἐν πένθει ⁹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-483-1 ἀναρπασθείς ⁹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-484-1 δειλαία δειλαίων ⁹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-485-1 ἴστωρ ⁹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-486-1 πανσύρτῳ … αἰῶνι ⁹⁵⁰ αἰῶνι ⁹⁵¹

mvp-comment-486-2 The literal sense then is:—‘(I know this) by a life which, through all the months, is a turbid torrent of many things dread and horrible.’

seems rightly explained in one scholium as : i.e., it has an active sense, like (484 n.), ( Ph. 688 ), ( , Aesch. Ag. 361 ). The genitive, , may depend upon it, as in Soph. Ant. 1184 f. = . But we might also join the genitive with , as=‘a life of’ (made up of) these things. For the verb in ref. to a torrent, cp. Ar. Eq. 527 | : Plut. Mor.p. 5 F . Thus παμμήνῳ ⁹⁵²

mvp-comment-486-3 This view gives

a more forcible and more poetical sense than if it be taken as=‘swept together from every side.’ The meaning then would be, ‘a life, through all the months, of many dread horrors, accumulated from every quarter,’—the epithet being transferred from the troubles to the life itself. It would still, indeed, be possible to make active; ‘a life which draws troubles together from all sides’; but such an active sense would be somewhat harsher, on this interpretation, than on that which supposes the image of a torrent.

mvp-comment-487-1 ἁθρήνεις ⁹⁵³ ἃ θροεῖς ⁹⁵⁴ ἃ θρηνεῖς ⁹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-488-1 μή μέ νυν ⁹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-488-2 παραγάγῃς ⁹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-488-3 ἵν’ ⁹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-489-1 τί φής ⁹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-490-1 πάρεισιν ἐλπίδων ἔτι ⁹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-490-2 With the other reading,

, both epithets belong to , and mean, ‘hopes from brothers and princes,’— i.e., ‘hopes from a princely brother’: the sense is unchanged, but the phrase is more artificial.

mvp-comment-490-3 That the MSS. have

is more significant than that they also have , which might easily creep in. Suidas, who omits , has , or (in codd. A and C) : but the latter variant can hardly be said to confirm .—At 162 Orestes is called . The fem. occurs at 1081.

86-250. mvp-comment-59-1 In this long lament there are two principal movements, each of which admits of subdivision. First, the monody of Electra, consisting of two anapaestic systems, of which one (ll. 86-102) is retrospective, and the other (ll. 103-120) is prospective. Secondly, there is the commatic parodos :-the chorus on their entrance address Electra with lyric strains, to which she responds also in lyric measures. This movement consists of three strophes and antistrophes. In στρ. and ἀντ. α' (ll. 121-152), the chorus gently, but gloomily, expostulate with Electra, who is inconsolable. In στρ. and ἀντ. β΄ (ll. 153-192), they vainly try to cheer her. In στρ. and ἀντ. γ΄ (ll. 193- 232), they remind her of her past and present troubles, and exhort her not to add to them. All this is followed by a ῥῆσις of Electra (ll. 254-309) in reply to the coryphaeus, who, at l. 324, again speaks to call attention to Chrysothemis' approach.

86-250. mvp-comment-59-2 Metres. The anapaests in 86-120, although for the most part regular are in so far of the freer kind which belong to laments as to admit the spondaic paroemiacs near the commencement of each system in ll. 88, 9, 105, 6, which, with the opening half line, have a strange effect of heaviness and of struggle and pain. The two systems so nearly correspond, both in this respect and in the number of the lines, that one is tempted to believe that the half line that would complete the antistrophic effect has been lost somewhere between 113 and 117. But anapaestic systems are seldom exactly antistrophic, and the pause after the (dactylic) invocation in l. 115 may be intentional.

194. mvp-comment-116-1 οἰκτρὰ μὲν νόστοις αὐδά] 'Piteous were thy tones at the time of thy father's return.' In the Agamemnon of Aeschylus, the Watchman and the Chorus, i. e. the household and the people, express a vague misgiving, which is not sufficiently definite to enable them to warn Agamemnon. Sophocles here, as elsewhere, concentrates in an individual what in Aeschylus was general. It is quite consistent with his conception of the character of Electra, that, young as she then was, and totally unable, both from her inexperience ( infr. 1024) and her dependent position, of averting the harm which she may have vaguely foreseen, she had a sufficiently clear perception of the situation to be sad instead of joyful on the occasion of her father's coming home, and her sadness would be aggravated by her helplessness :-ἐπεὶ ἐχθίστη ὀδύνη πολλὰ φρονέοντα μηδενὸς κρατέειν. Her friends, of the same age with her, observed this, and in recollecting it, now understand the cause. ooi is easily supplied, both because the whole of Electra's last speech refers to herself, and because σοί occurs immediately afterwards as an ethical' dative. πατρός is no less easily supplied with νόστοις for a similar reason, both because the word occurs three lines above, and because it is implied in πατρώαις in the following line. νόστοις is dative of the occasion, E. on L. § 11. p. 18. For the sense, cp. Aesch. Pers. 935, 6, πρόσφθογγόν σοι νόστου τὰν | κακοφάτιδα βοάν, κακομέλετον ἰὰν | Μαριανδυνοῦ θρηνητῆρος | πέμψω πολύδακρυν ἰακχάν.

195-197. mvp-comment-117-1 οἰκτρὰ δ'.. πλαγά] 'And piteous was thy crying where thy father lay, when thou hadst seen launched the death-stroke of the solid brazen axe.' If Sophocles (see Introduction) follows the form of the legend known to us from Homer, according to which Agamemnon was slain at a feast given in honour of his return, ἐν κοίταις probably means, (1) 'Where he lay in death.' And this is supported by 203. The poet might, no doubt, have so far modified the legend as to suppose Agamemnon after the feast to have been lured by Clytemnestra to his chamber and there slain. ἐν κοίταις might then belong to the relative clause (ὅτε ἐν κ.), and mean 'in his chamber. But this is inconsistent with 203 and 270. For (1) cp. Aesch. Ag. 1494, 1518, Eur. Med. 437, O. C. 1707. The bath, and the entangling garment, which are so prominent in the Agamemnon and Choephori, are in any case not thought of here. Some (including Wecklein) understand aὐδά in both clauses of the death-shriek of the king. σοι (Ε. on L. § 13. p. 19 f.) marks that Electra was the chief sufferer from all that happened. This explanation is rightly defended by Triclinius. Cp. Tennyson's Elaine, -Through her own side she felt the sharp lance go.' Hermann, understanding aὐδά of the people's voice, rejects σοι and reads οἱ instead. The hiatus, which he defends from Trach. 650, ὁ δὲ οἱ φίλα δάμαρ (cp. supr. 157), is still exceptional, but a stronger objection to the removal of σοί is that the connection between this speech and Electra's is thus destroyed.

197-200. mvp-comment-118-1 Sophocles seems here to have in his mind the passage of the Agamemnon where Clytemnestra impersonates the Alastor of Atreus, Aesch. Agam. 1500-1504: Craft pointed out the way, lust murdered him. Between them they produced a monstrous birth, whether he who did this thing were a god or one of mortal mould.' μορφάν the immediate agent and the act itself, as an embodied horror, seem to be confused. See E. on L. § 48. p. 92.

201-212. mvp-comment-119-1 In supr. 185-92, Electra refused consolation and drew attention to her hopeless misery. The women then call to mind how they had pitied her at the time of her father's death. This opens anew the flood-gates of her sorrow. Cp. Ant. 857 foll., ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμνας, κ.τ.λ.

203. mvp-comment-120-1 δείπνων] The feast which preceded the murder, according to Od. 4. 535. Agamemnon (see next note) is supposed to have been murdered at table : ὡσεί τε κατέκτανε βοῦν ἐπὶ φάτνῃ (Od. 1. c.).

205. mvp-comment-121-1 For ἄχθη, the grammatical antecedent, the more definite θάνατοι is substituted and taken into the relative clause. The horror of that feast-I mean the death which followed it.'

206. mvp-comment-122-1 διδύμαιν χειροῖν] ‘Effected by joint violence' of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.

207-208. mvp-comment-123-1 αΐ.. πρόδοτον] 'That wrought treason on my life and ruined me.'

209. mvp-comment-124-1 ois refers to the antecedent implied in χειροῖν, viz. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.

211. mvp-comment-125-1 'And never may they have any good of their magnificence.' Cp. infr. 267-281: Od. 17. 244, 5, τῷ κέ τοι ἀγλαΐας γε διασκεδάσειεν ἁπάσας, | τὰς νῦν ὑβρίζων φορέεις.

214-216. mvp-comment-126-1 'Seest thou not through what courses thou hast fallen thus cruelly into calamities that come home to thee?' or, with a slightly different shade of meaning, 'which thou hast brought upon thyself.' Cp. Aj. 260: Pind. Nem. 1. 81, τὸ γὰρ οἰκεῖον πιέζει πάνθ᾽ ὁμῶς. ἐξ οἵων is otherwise explained by one Scholiast :-ἐξ οἴων ἀγαθῶν εἰς τί ἀνιαρὸν ἐλήλυθας. Cp. infr. 392. But it is more natural that the Chorus should remind her of the cause of the persecution she is undergoing.

218-219. mvp-comment-127-1 σᾷ . . πολέμους] Ever creating new conflicts for thy burdened soul.'

219-220. mvp-comment-128-1 τὰ δὲ.. πλάθειν] ‘But strife with the powerful is hopeless.' The vague rá is to be supplemented from what precedes and follows,- sc. τὰ πολεμούμενα, οι τὰ ἐρίδος ἐχόμενα. Cp. Plat. Symp. 206 C, ταῦτα δ᾽ ἐν τῷ ἀναρμόστῳ, -sc. κυούμενα καὶ γεννώμενα, - Pind. Nem. 10. 135, χαλεπὰ δ' ἔρις ἀνθρώποις ὁμιλεῖν κρεσσόνων: ΟΙ. 11. 48, νεῖκος δὲ κρεσσόνων ἀποθέσθ᾽ ἄπορον. πλάθειν, sc. τοῖς δυνατοῖς, is epexegetic infinitive.

221. mvp-comment-129-1 The Chorus (l. 214) have reminded Electra of the violent words by which she has earned her present misery. She replies that such words were wrung from her by a fearful cause, viz. by the murder of her father and the subsequent conduct of the murderers. Cp. infr. 271 foll.

222. mvp-comment-130-1 'I know, I am conscious of my passion, viz. that it is inordinate. Cp. infr. 617, 8, μανθάνω δ᾽ ὁθούνεκα | ἔξωρα πράσσω κοὐκ ἐμοὶ προσεικότα : 1011, κατάσχες ὀργήν.

223-224. mvp-comment-131-1 But amid deeds of horror I will not curb or moderate these my calamitous ways' (as ye call them). She echoes the words of the Chorus (l. 215) in a different sense. They meant by οἰκείας ἄτας, 'self-caused calamities:' -she means by ταύτας άτας, 'this infatuate,' or 'fatal,' course,' of which by implication they have accused her.

226-228. mvp-comment-132-1 Electra relapses into despair. If even these Argive women, who know her so well, cannot give her a word of comfort, whence is it to come? 'At whose mouth, then, kind band of friends, can I hope to hear a word of comfort, prompted by seasonable thought?' For the uncommon dative, see E. on L. § 13. p. 20.

229. mvp-comment-133-1 'Press not on me with your consolations,' and cp. Eur. El. 1182, διὰ πυρὸς ἔμολον ἁ τάλαινα ματρὶ τᾷδ᾽.

230. mvp-comment-134-1 For ye shall find this sorrow irremoveable.'

234. mvp-comment-135-1 Like a true-hearted mother.' For this form of expressing sympathy from one woman to another, cp. Trach. 526, ἐγὼ δὲ μάτηρ μὲν οἷα φράζω.

235. mvp-comment-136-1 ἄταν ἄταις] Cp. Αj. 866, πόνῳ πόνον, and note.

236. mvp-comment-137-1 καὶ τί μέτρον κακότατος ἔφυ;] 'And is not my trouble infinite?' (So the Scholiast, -πρὸς γὰρ ἄμετρον κακὸν καὶ ἀμέτρων δεῖται θρήνων.) Cp. infr. 1249, 50, ἁμέτερον οἷον ἔφυ κακόν. For the meaning, cp. Shak. Ant. and Cleo. 4. 15. 4, But comforts we despise; our size of sorrow, Proportioned to our cause, must be as great As that which makes it.'

237. mvp-comment-138-1 ἐπὶ τοῖς φθιμένοις ἀμελεῖν] To treat the dead with forgetfulness.' E. on L. § 19. p. 27.

238. mvp-comment-139-1 ἐν τίνι . . ἀνθρώπων] 'Where amongst men hath such a mind sprung up?'

239. mvp-comment-140-1 τούτοις] Sc. ἐν οἷς τοῦτο ἔβλαστε, the indefinite plural taking the place of the indefinite singular. E. on L. § 20. p. 31. 3. Cp. Hdt. 9. 79. § 3. ἐγὼ δ᾽ οὖν τούτου εἵνεκα μήτε Αἰγινήτῃσι ἅδοιμι, μήτε τοῖσι ταῦτα ἀρέσκεται· ἀποχρᾷ δ᾽ ἐμοί, Σπαρτιήτῃσι ἀρεσκόμενον, ὅσια μὲν ποιέειν, ὅσια δὲ καὶ λέγειν.

240. mvp-comment-141-1 εἴ τῳ πρόσκειμαι χρηστῷ] · If I have near me any good,' = εἴ τι χρηστὸν πρόσκειταί μοι : Ε. on L. § 42. p. 80 β. Cp. infr. 1040, ᾧ σὺ πρόσκεισαι κακῷ.

241-243. mvp-comment-142-1 γονέων .. γόων] • Holding back the wings of my shrill wailings from doing honour to my sire.' Each fresh utterance of the unabating sorrow is imagined as a bird that is eager to fly. ἐκτίμους is predicative and proleptic, = ὥστε ἔξω εἶναι τοῦ τιμᾶν. See E. on L. $ 54. p. 100 d, § 10. p. 16 f., § 23. p. 38 81, § 38. p. 71.

244. mvp-comment-143-1 ya] Prof. Jebb reads ya, i.e. 'buried,' adding, 'it is difficult to believe that yῆ could stand for σποδός.' But the expression is hyperbolical-' mere clay.' Cp. ψήγμα in Aesch. Ag. 442.

251-252. mvp-comment-144-1 καὶ τὸ σὸν.. καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς] 'More in care for thee than for myself. This is really the meaning, although, by the usual Greek litotes, 'as much as' is put for more than.' The most important matter is put first. E. on L. § 41. p. 78.

253. mvp-comment-145-1 ἑψόμεσθ'] Cp. infr. 1052.

254-255. mvp-comment-146-1 I am ashamed of seeming to you, as I must seem, to be too impatient in multiplying lamentations.' δοκῶ is indicative.

258. mvp-comment-147-1 πατρῷ᾽ ὁρῶσα πήματ'] 'Seeing woful things performed against her sire.' Electra's filial affection for Agamemnon is kept prominently before us as her chief motive; and every insult to his memory, including her own sufferings, is regarded by her as part of the wrong done to him. πατρῷα is at first general, but in the antecedent to a it becomes individual, -' of my father.'

260. mvp-comment-148-1 θάλλοντα .. καταφθίνονθ'] “Not lessening but increasing.'

260-261. mvp-comment-149-1 ᾖ.. συμβέβηκεν] 'Since, first of all, I have found in my own mother the deepest cause for hatred.' This (Paley, etc.) is better than my mother is my enemy.'

264. mvp-comment-150-1 κἀκ τῶνδ᾽ ἄρχομαι] ‘And I am in subjection to them. Cp. O. C. 67, ἐκ τοῦ κατ᾿ ἄστυ βασιλέως τάδ' ἄρχεται.

270. mvp-comment-151-1 ἔνθ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν] Here again Sophocles seems to follow the account that is given in the fourth book of the Odyssey, ll. 529 foll., according to which Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon at or after a banquet. Hence he is said to have destroyed him beside the hearth. Cp. infr. 1495.

271-274. mvp-comment-152-1 Further, when I see their crowning insult, when I see, forsooth, the author of his death reclining on my father's couch, beside my wretched mother, if so I must call this woman, when cohabiting with him!' The clause τὸν αὐτοφόντην κ.τ.λ. is in the same construction with ὕβριν, governed by ἴδω. ἡμίν is ethical dative, and has a sarcastic force; i.e. That is what I am compelled to look upon.' The participle (κείμενον) which should have gone with ἐν κοίτῃ is absorbed and resumed in συγκοιμωμένην.

363-364. mvp-comment-153-1 ἐμοὶ γὰρ . . βόσκημα] (1) ‘For I would have such maintenance alone as will not cause me pain:' i. e. through compliance with my father's enemies. The reading λυποῦν is implied in the first scholion here, which, although giving a wrong explanation, deserves for this reason to be transcribed:-ἐμοί, φησίν, ἔστω τροφή, ἡ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ μόνον ἁρμόζουσα, καὶ τὴν πείνην ἀπελαύνουσα· οὐ δέομαι γὰρ τοιαύτης τροφῆς ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡδονὴν σχήσω. (2) The MS. reading, which is also acknowledged in the scholia, -τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν (Schol. τοῦτο μόνον ἐμὲ βοσκέτω, τὸ μὴ λυπεῖν ἐμὲ αὐτήν, εἰ τοῖς φονεῦσι τοῦ πατρὸς πείθεσθαι ἀναγκασθήσομαι) is possibly right, but the use of ἐμέ for ἐμαυτήν is hardly justified, and the expression seems forced. Ср., however, Eur. Cycl. 336-8, ὡς τοὐμπιεῖν γε καὶ φαγεῖν τοὐφ᾽ ἡμέραν, | Ζεὺς οὗτος ἀνθρώποισι τοῖσι σώφροσι, | λυπεῖν δὲ μηδὲν αὐτόν.

364. mvp-comment-154-1 The genitive, after ἐρῶ, is to be resumed with τυχεῖν, which is epexegetic infinitive.

365-367. mvp-comment-155-1 νῦν δ᾽ ἐξὸν .. τῆς μητρός] But now, when you might be called the daughter of the noblest of all sires, be called your mother's child.' Here, and in supr. 341, 2, there is a reminiscence of that depreciation of the maternal relationship, which is more fully expressed in the Eumenides of Aeschylus. For another trace of this, cp. Eur. Fr. 1048, στέργω δὲ τὸν φύσαντα τῶν πάντων βροτῶν | μάλισθ'· ὁρίζω τοῦτο, καὶ σὺ μὴ φθώνει· | κείνου γὰρ ἐξέβλαστον. οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἰς ἀνὴρ | γυναικὸς αὐδήσειεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πατρός.

369. mvp-comment-156-1 μηδὲν πρὸς ὀργήν] Sc. λέξης. Say nothing in anger,'-lit. 'tending that way. Cp. infr. 464.

373. mvp-comment-157-1 οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐμνήσθην ποτέ) 'And would never have mentioned the subject. This refers to supr. 330, 1.

376. mvp-comment-158-1 Exceptions to the rule of the Porsonic pause are not infrequent where γάρ comes in the first place of the fifth foot: e.g. O. C. 115, ἐν γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν.

376-377. mvp-comment-159-1 Electra will not admit that any trouble can be greater than what she endures already in seeing the insults that are heaped upon her father.

382. mvp-comment-160-1 χθονὸς τῆσδ᾽ ἐκτός] Beyond the Argive boundary, so as not to bring pollution upon the state. Cp. Ant. 773, ἄγων ἔρημος ἔνθ᾽ ἂν ᾖ βροτῶν στίβος κρύψω πετρώδει ζῶσαν ἐν κατώρυχι : Ο. C. 399, 400, ὥς σ' ἄγχι γῆς στήσωσι Καδμείας, ὅπως | κρατῶσι μέν σου, γῆς δὲ μὴ ᾿μβαίνῃς ὅρων. ὑμνήσεις κακά] 'You shall chant your song of woe.' Cp. infr. 802, 3, τήνδε δ᾽ ἔκτοθεν βοᾶν | ἔα τά θ᾽ αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τῶν φίλων κακά.

383-384. mvp-comment-161-1 καί με . μέμψῃ] Being warned, Electra will have no cause to blame Chrysothemis. Cp. infr. 1056, 7, ὅταν γὰρ ἐν κακοῖς | ἤδη βεβήκῃς, τἄμ᾽ ἐπαινέσεις ἔπη.

384. mvp-comment-162-1 νῦν γὰρ .. φρονεῖν] ‘For now you have a good opportunity of adopting the wiser course.' Cp. Plat. Rep. Β. 9. p. 571 Β, τὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν .. οὔ μοι δοκοῦμεν ἱκανῶς διῃρῆσθαι. . οὐκοῦν, ἢ δ᾽ ὅς, ἔτ᾽ ἐν καλῷ;

385. mvp-comment-163-1 And have they really determined to do this to me?' καί adds a sarcastic emphasis.

390. mvp-comment-164-1 ποῦ ποτ᾽ εἰ φρενῶν;] 'What are you thinking of?' Cp. Ant. 42, ποῦ γνώμης ποτ' εἶ; There is the same doubt in both cases, whether el is from εἰμί or εἶμι. For the latter, which gives greater liveliness, cp. Eur. Iph. Α. 479, 80, καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐξαφίσταμαι λόγων, | οὐκ εἰς σὲ δεινός· εἶμι δ᾽ οὗπερ εἶ σὺ νῦν. On the other hand it may be urged that ποῖ would be more natural with the verb of motion. Electra in supra l. 354 has said, οὐ ζῶ; κακῶς μὲν, οἶδ᾽, ἐπαρκούντως δ᾽ ἐμοί. Chrysothemis interprets this as if she had meant that she had something to lose.

395. mvp-comment-165-1 τοῖς φίλοις] Viz. τῷ πατρί.

397. mvp-comment-166-1 ταῦτα is an adverbial accusative. οὐκ ἐμοὺς τρόπους λέγεις] 'You speak not of my ways; i.e. Your words indicate a line of conduct that can never be mine.

399. mvp-comment-167-1 τιμωρούμενοι] Cp. supr. 349.

400. mvp-comment-168-1 τούτων.. συγγνώμην] For this genitive, see Essay on L. § 9. p. 12, d 2, and cp. esp. Trach. 250, τοῦ λόγου .. φθόνον.

401. mvp-comment-169-1 Such words are for the base to approve.' Although, grammatically speaking, ἔπη is the subject of the sentence, and ἐπαινέσαι is epexegetic infinitive, the real meaning is, πρὸς κακῶν ἐστὶ τὸ ἐπαινέσai ταῦτα τὰ ἔπη. As constantly happens in Greek, an attribute which belongs to the verb is attached to the noun.

403. mvp-comment-170-1 μή πω .. κενή] 'I trust I may not prove so void of understanding!' For this use of πω, in which the temporal meaning has disappeared, cp; Ο. Τ. 105, οὐ γὰρ εἰσεῖδόν γέ πω, and note. The adverbial use of τοσόνδε is an Epic touch; cp. Od. 21. 253, 4, ἀλλ᾽ ἐἰ δὴ τοσσόνδε βίης ἐπιδευέες εἰμὲν | ἀντιθέου Ὀδυσῆος, ὅτ᾽ οὐ δυνάμεσθα, κ.τ.λ.

404. mvp-comment-171-1 οἶπερ ἐστάλην ὁδοῦ] ‘To the place whither I was sent upon my way.' For the idiomatic partitive genitive, cp. supr. 390, ποῦ ποτ' εἶ φρενῶν ; Phil. 899, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

405. mvp-comment-172-1 τῷ] 'For whom?' i.e. 'To be offered to whom?'

406. mvp-comment-173-1 τυμβεῦσai χοάς] Το pour libation on his tomb;' i.e. ἐπιτυμβίους χέαι χοάς,-the attribute of the noun being attached to the verb. See Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 с.

409. mvp-comment-174-1 τῷ τοῦτ᾽ ἤρεσεν] 'Whose pleasure was this?' Cp. Aj. 1243, & τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς.

410. mvp-comment-175-1 ἐκ δείματος] Sc. πεισθεῖσα.

411. mvp-comment-176-1 At the mention of 'nightly fear,' Electra instantly rushes to the conclusion that Clytemnestra has had some Divine warning. Her hope at once revives, and she looks up to heaven. For ἀλλὰ νῦν, 'now, though not heretofore,' cp. Ant. 552, τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἀλλὰ νῦν σ᾽ ἔτ᾿ ὠφελοῖμ᾽ ἐγώ. And for the connection, cp. Aesch. Cho. 515, 6, ΟΡ. πόθεν χοὰς ἔπεμψεν, ἐκ τίνος λόγου | μεθύστερον τιμῶσ᾽ ἀνήκεστον πάθος; ib. 523-5, ΧΟ. οἶδ', ὦ τέκνον· παρῆ γάρ. ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνειράτων | καὶ νυκτιπλάγκτων δειμάτων πεπαλμένη | χοὰς ἔπεμψε τάσδε δύσθεος γυνή. In this line and supr. 345 γε belongs in sense to the word that follows it. Or rather, the particle emphasizes the whole sentence as a comment on the preceding words. 'Ay, now, at last, come to our aid!'

413. mvp-comment-177-1 Electra is eager to know the vision, and will not confess her hopes till she has heard it.

414. mvp-comment-178-1 ἐπὶ σμικρόν is to be resumed with φράσai, which is epexegetic infinitive.

415. mvp-comment-179-1 λέγ᾽ ἀλλὰ τοῦτο] 'Tell me but this;'-this little, if nothing more. Cp. Trach. 320, εἴπ', ὦ τάλαιν', ἀλλ᾽ ἡμὶν ἐκ σαυτῆς. πολλά τοι κ.τ.λ.] Cp. Aesch. Cho. 204, σμικροῦ γένοιτ' ἂν σπέρματος μέγας πυθμήν: Ο. Τ. 120, 1, ἓν γὰρ πόλλ᾽ ἂν ἐξεύροι μαθεῖν, | ἀρχὴν βραχεῖαν εἰ λάβοιμεν ἐλπίδος.

417. mvp-comment-180-1 λόγος τις.. ἐστιν] It is said,' viz. by the attendant who heard her tell her vision to the Sun, infr. 424, 5.

417-419. mvp-comment-181-1 πατρὸς ἐς φῶς] Our father again amongst us, revisiting the realm of light; i.e. τὸν πατέρα δεύτερον ὁμιλοῦντα (τοῖς ἐνθάδε), -abstract for concrete.

419. mvp-comment-182-1 εἶτα, κ.τ.λ.] These words depend immediately on λόγος τίς ἐστιν. Chrysothemis proceeds to narrate the vision as a matter of fact.

421. mvp-comment-183-1 τανῦν δ᾽ Αἴγισθος] Sc. φέρει.

424. mvp-comment-184-1 τοῦ παρόντος] 'The one who was present.' As a matter of course Clytemnestra was not wholly unattended in the day-time. Hence the article. Some editors have preferred the indefinite του; but the use of παρόντος = παραγενομένου is less natural in this case, and the double predicate παρόντος, ἐξηγουμένου, is awkward. A female attendant is meant, the masculine form being used, as in Trach. 151, etc. See Essay on L. § 20. p. 30. 2.

428. mvp-comment-185-1 πρὸς . . θεῶν τῶν ἐγγενῶν] · By the gods of our race,' i.e. the gods who are not only the protectors of our race, but also its progenitors, Inachus, etc. Chrysothemis in her solemn adjuration uses τὸν ἐπιχώριον ὅρκον τὸν μέγιστον (Thuc. 5. 18. § 9). Cp. Ant. 938, θεοὶ προγενεῖς, and note.

430. mvp-comment-186-1 σὺν κακῷ μέτει πάλιν] 'You will seek me another day, when the evil has overtaken you.'

431. mvp-comment-187-1 Electra scarcely hears the concluding words of Chrysothemis. Her attention is absorbed by the vision and the hopes which it has aroused in her mind, and she is determined to prevent the offering of the libation, which she represents to her sister as at once an offence to Agamemnon and useless to Clytemnestra. The former is her own feeling, the latter (ll. 446-8) occurs to her as a rhetorical argument. She also takes the opportunity of sending an offering to the tomb, as if to remind her father that the hour of vengeance for him was at hand. ὦ φίλη] 'She tries affectionate persuasion, and no longer reproaches.' Paley. Or rather, her resentment is forgotten in the revival of hope. Cp. supr. 367.

433-434. mvp-comment-188-1 ἱστάναι | κτερίσματα] Το (institute or) perform funereal rights.'

435-438. mvp-comment-189-1 Not κρύψον from l. 436, but some more general word, such as ἀφάνισον, is to be supplied with πνοαίσιν. For the form of sentence, cp. О. Т. 1410-2, ἔξω μέ που | καλύψατ', ἢ φονεύσατ', ἢ θαλάσσιον | ἐκρίψατ᾽, ἔνθα μήποτ᾽ εἰσόψεσθ᾽ ἔτι. βαθυσκαφεῖ κόνει] 'In deeply hollowed dust,' i.e. buried deep in the ground.

437-438. mvp-comment-190-1 ἀλλ᾿ ὅταν θάνῃ . . κάτω] 'But let this be treasured underground for her, against the day when she shall die.' σωζέσθω is passive, and there is an ellipse οἱ εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον or the like words.

441. mvp-comment-191-1 οὐκ ἄν.. ἐπέστεφε] 'She would not have sought to give by way of honour.' Cp. Ant. 431, χοαῖσι τρισπόνδοισι τὸν νέκυν στέφει.

442-443. mvp-comment-192-1 For only think whether you can suppose the dead man in his grave will receive this gift kindly at her hand.' For αὐτῇ as dative of the remote object with προσφιλῶς δέξασθαι, cp. supr. 226, 7, τίνι . . πρόσφορον ἀκούσαιμ᾽ ἔπος; It may also be taken with προσφιλῶς separately, but rather follows both words as combined in one expression.

444. mvp-comment-193-1 'Who slew him dishonourably as a personal foe.' Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1374, ἐχθροῖς ἐχθρὰ πορσύνων: ibid. 1492-4, κεῖσαι . κοίταν τάνδ᾽ ἀνελεύθερον.

445. mvp-comment-194-1 ἐμασχαλίσθη] ‘He was mutilated' (by cutting off the extremities and placing or tieing them under the armpits). Clytemnestra had adopted this barbarous means of disabling the spirit of her enemy. Aesch. Cho. 439, ἐμασχαλίσθη δ᾽ ἔθ᾽, ὡς τόδ᾽ εἰδῇς.

445-446. mvp-comment-195-1 And his head was used to wipe the stains away in washing' (the hearth). This additional circumstance of savagery is known to us only from Sophocles, but is probably not due to his invention. See Introd. to Aj. p. 1. Interpreters have supposed a change of subject, supplying ἡ ς ἡ Κλυταιμνήστρα ας nominative to ἐξέμαξεν. But this is unnecessary if it is borne in mind that verbs active in grammar are often used in Greek to express a passive condition. Essay on L. § 30. p. 52 d. Prof. Jebb understands the construction in the same way, with a slightly different nuance of interpretation: - 'And by way of funeral ablution received the print of the sword-stains on his head.' Mr. Paley translates, And at the washing of the body she wiped off the blood-stains on his head.' But did she wash the body?

446-447. mvp-comment-196-1 Electra tries to influence Chrysothemis, not only with fear of her dead father, but also by pointing out the uselessness of the action for Clytemnestra's purpose, and so quieting her sister's conscience in this respect.

448. mvp-comment-197-1 σὺ δέ] For the introduction of the personal pronoun without real emphasis, in such antitheses, see Essay on L. § 41. p. 79.

449. mvp-comment-198-1 Clipping off a little from thy luxuriant curls.' The words call attention to the abundance of Chrysothemis' hair in comparison with Electra's. Cp- Eur. Or. 128, 9, εἴδετε παρ᾿ ἄκρας ὡς ἀπέθρισεν τρίχας, | σώζουσα κάλλος.

451. mvp-comment-199-1 τήνδε †λιπαρή τρίχα] The adjective here is puzzling, whichever reading we adopt. Hermann thought the MS. reading ἀλιπαρή might bear the sense of 'unmeet for supplication.' But λιπαρεῖν is hardly near enough in meaning to λιτανεύειν to make this possible. The Scholiast and Suidas explain the alternative reading λιπαρή, by ἱκέτιν, ἐξ ἧς αὐτὸν λιπαρήσομεν.

451. mvp-comment-199-2 But this is wanting in point. And a confusion of λιπαρής with λιπαρός (i.e. ἀλιπαρῆ = αὐχμηράν) is not to be thought of. Perhaps λιπαρή, in the sense of 'patient,' 'persistent,' may have conveyed some shade of meaning suitable to the passage. Or possibly ΛΙΠΑΡΗ may be a corruption of AYC-ΠΙΝΗ. Ср. О. С. 1597, εἶτ᾿ ἔλυσε δυσπινεῖς στολάς. I cannot think, with Mr. Paley, that this and the following line are an interpolation. The words ἄχω, δὸς αὐτῷ, are too pathetic for this.

452. mvp-comment-200-1 οὐ χλιδαῖς ἠσκημένον] 'Not elegantly neat.' The dative of manner in χλιδαῖς has an adverbial force. Essay on L. § 14. p. 20. Electra's girdle had not been beautifully got up' and 'laid in lavender,' like her sister's.

453-454. mvp-comment-201-1 The belief in the real presence of the spirits of the dead on great occasions, which is so powerful in the Oresteia of Aeschylus, still survives in the Sophoclean drama, but is much less vividly and realistically felt. It has become more ideal.

455. mvp-comment-202-1 ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χερός] • With overpowering might.'

456. mvp-comment-203-1 ζῶντ᾽ ἐπεμβῆναι ποδί] Either (1) In the fulness of life (ζῶντα) should trample with his foot' (ποδί expletive); or (2) Should trample with a foot of living power' (ζῶντι.. ποδί). The latter is rendered improbable by the unusual elision, for which, however, cp. Trach. 675, ἀργῆτ᾽ οἰὸς εὐείρῳ πόκῳ, where see note. See also Pind. Ol. 13. 114, καρταίποδ᾽ ἀναρύῃ Γαιαóχῳ. In either case ζῆν is used in the secondary sense of being vigorous. Cp. Ant. 456, 7, ἀεί ποτε | ζῇ ταῦτα: Ο. Τ. 44, 5, and note.

459-460. mvp-comment-204-1 'Indeed, I do believe some care on his part caused the appalling dream to come to her.' For the use of the neuter participle, see Essay on L. § 30. p. 51 α. Although μέλον here has not the article, it should be added to the six examples there given. μὲν οὖν interposes the incidental thought, that even without their prayers Agamemnon was minded to interfere. Then, in 461, the main drift is resumed with ὅμως. 'Still, let us not omit this offering!'

461. mvp-comment-205-1 σοί is here equivalent to σαυτῇ, but occurring here as one of several coordinate terms, can hardly be adduced to justify the use of ἐμέ for ἐμαυτήν in supr. 363, which becomes necessary if λυπεῖν is read.

466-467. mvp-comment-206-1 τὸ γὰρ .. δρᾶν] ‘For when a thing is right, people should not quarrel over it, but hasten to do it.' Two points are doubtful in the construction of these words. a. Either (1) τὸ δίκαιον is subject of ἔχει, and ἐρίζειν is epexegetic infinitive, or (2) ἐρίζειν is the subject of ἔχει, and τὸ δίκαιον an accusative loosely governed by the words that follow it. b. τὸ δρᾶν is either (1) the direct object of ἐπισπεύδειν, or (2) epexegetic infinitive after ἐπισπεύδειν (i.e. ἐπισπεύδειν τὸ δίκαιον, ὥστε δρᾶν αὐτό). For the article in this case, cp. O. T. 1416, 7, ἐς δέον πάρεσθ᾽ ὅδε | Κρέων τὸ πράσσειν καὶ τὸ βουλεύειν : infr. 1030, μακρὸς τὸ κρῖναι ταῦτα χὼ λοιπὸς χρόνος. The addition of δυοῖν belongs to the same tendency to make numbers explicit, which appears in καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τρίτον (Ο. C. 8) and the like phrases. For the sense, cp. Fr. 76, τοῖς γὰρ δικαίοις ἀντέχειν οὐ ῥάδιον. In the second clause, ἀλλ' ἐπισπεύδειν, κ.τ.λ., a positive notion is understood from the negative. Essay on L. § 36. p. 64, β, 1 а.

468-471. mvp-comment-207-1 These lines are intended to emphasize at once the timidity of Chrysothemis and the harshness of Clytemnestra.

471-515. mvp-comment-208-1 The following short ode, the first stasimon, consisting of a single strophe, antistrophe, and epode, dwells, first, on the renewal of hope which is brought to the upholders of the righteous cause by the announcement of the dream, secondly, on the guilt of those whom Vengeance will now assail, and thirdly, on the long chain of troubles, of which their crime is the continuation. The rhythm, beginning from three short glyconian lines, is chiefly iambic and trochaic, with an increasing number of long syllables toward the close of each movement. The metrical scheme is the following:-

472-473. mvp-comment-209-1 Ср. О. Τ. 1086, εἴπερ ἐγὼ μάντις εἰμὶ καὶ κατὰ γνώμην ἴδρις.

475. mvp-comment-210-1 ὁ πρόμαντις Δίκα] 'Presaging Justice,' i.e. the just Power that has warned Clytemnestra through the dream.

476. mvp-comment-211-1 δίκαια κράτη] Either (1) 'Bringing with her the victorious strength of righteous action,' or (2) And shall bear away the victory in a righteous deed.' In the latter case (2) the participle is proleptic. The former interpretation (1) is on the whole more probable. For this use of φερομένα, cp. Hdt. 7. 50. § 8, πολλὴν φορβὴν φερόμενοι πορευόμεθα.

479-481. mvp-comment-212-1 These lines echo the language of the dialogue, supr. 412, ἔχεις τι θάρσος τοῦδε τοῦ τάρβους πέρι;

480. mvp-comment-213-1 ἁδυπνόων] · Breathing of gladness,' i.e. auspicious. Cp. O. T. 151, ὦ Διὸς ἀδυεπὲς φάτι.

480. mvp-comment-213-2 κλύουσαν] For this accusative, with the dative preceding, as if after θαρρύνει or some such word, see Essay on L. $ 6. p. 23, and cp. Aesch. Cho. 410, 11, πέπαλται δ᾽ αὐτέ μοι φίλον κέαρ τόνδε κλύουσαν οἶκτον.

484. mvp-comment-214-1 ὁ φύσας] It must be borne in mind that Electra is present during the chanting of this ode. Cp. supr. 184 and note.

485. mvp-comment-215-1 'Nor that oid two-edged axe of sharpened bronze.' χαλκόπλακτος is literally, 'Smiting with bronze,' χαλκέας πληγὰς ἔχων. See Essay on L. $ 53: p. 98. χαλκόπακτος, • Of solid bronze,' is the conjecture of Kvidala. The axe is imagined as giving evidence, much as in early times a weapon might be accused of homicide. For a somewhat similar fancy, attributing feeling to an inanimate instrument, cp. Philoctetes, 1130 foll., ἢ που ἐλεινὸν ὁρᾷς, κ.τ.λ., Hab. 2, 11, The nail shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it, Woe unto him,' etc.

486. mvp-comment-216-1 αἰσχίσταις ἐν αἰκίαις] These words are an echo of supr. 444-6.

488-489. mvp-comment-217-1 καὶ πολύπους | καὶ πολύχειρ] With exceeding swiftness and might.' Like πᾶς and αὐτός in composition (E. on L. $ 55. p. 101), πολύς has here an intensive force, without having an exactly defined significance. Ср. πολύγλωσσος, infr. 798.

490. mvp-comment-218-1 Cp. infr. 1396, 7, δόλον σκότῳ κρύψας πρὸς αὐτὸ τέρμα.

491. mvp-comment-219-1 χαλκόπους] 'With adamantine,' i.e. (1) unwearying, 'footsteps.' Cp. χαλκὸς ἀτειρής. Or (2) Irresistible.'

492. mvp-comment-220-1 ἐπέβα] «There came on,' as a dangerous event (οἶσιν = τούτων οἷς).

495-498. mvp-comment-221-1 πρὸ τῶνδε .. συνδρῶσιν] ‘In the face of these things I feel assured that the portent which comes near to the doer or the abettor of the deed cannot be other than baneful.' In Sophocles, not as in Aeschylus, Aegisthus is the author, Clytemnestra the accessory, of the murder. In Aesch. Ag. 1609, he claims a greater share than the poet really attributes to him. For μήποτε, see E. on L. § 24. p. 41, y 2, and cp. Aj. 183.

499. mvp-comment-222-1 μαντεῖαι βροτῶν] 'Divination, as an art in which mortals are concerned.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 709, βρότειον οὐδὲν μαντικῆς ἔχον τέχνης, and see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75.

500. mvp-comment-223-1 οὐδ᾽ ἐν θεσφάτοις] The indication of the dream is as express and clear as any oracle. If the one fail of accomplishment, so must the other.

501. mvp-comment-224-1 εὐ κατασχήσει] 'Shall happily reach its destination,' i. e. shall have a fortunate issue. Cp. Trach. 826, 7, καὶ τάδ᾽ ὀρθῶς | ἔμπεδα κατουρίζει.

504-505. mvp-comment-225-1 'O chariot-race of Pelops in the former time, that hast caused many troubles, how pregnant was thine occurrence with sorrow for this land!' Sophocles passes over the quarrels of Atreus and Thyestes, and goes back at once to the homicide of which Pelops, the author of the whole race, was guilty. This made Hermes the father of Myrtilus send the golden ram, which led to the fatal dissension between the brothers. Eur. Or. 988-1012. The act of Orestes in the present drama is destined to put an end to the series of disasters which then began.

506. mvp-comment-226-1 On the question between αἰανής and αἰανή, cp. Aj. 672 and note.

510. mvp-comment-227-1 *παγχρυσέων] The chariot of the wealthy Pelops on his bridal journey was encrusted with gold. Cp. Pind. Ol. 1.87. παγχρύσεος is the Homeric form, and if a change is necessary, this seems to be the simplest. The metre is the same as in 512. Others read παγχρύσων ἐκ δίφρων. Μ. has πολυχρύσων.

511. mvp-comment-228-1 δυστάνοις αἰκίαις] Myrtilus,

511-512. mvp-comment-229-1 although a traitor to Oenomaus, was a benefactor to Pelops. Observe the repetition of the word from supr. 486, also infr. 515.

512. mvp-comment-230-1 πρόρριζος ἐκριφθείς] «Uprooted and flung forth.'

513-515. mvp-comment-231-1 'Never since that day has sad dishonour left the house.' Some editors read ἔλιπεν ἐκ τοῦδ᾽ οἴκου, ‘Has failed out of this house,' which is less probable. Wecklein reads οἴκους | πολυπάμονας, which is supported by the scholion on 508, οὐ διέλιπεν αἰκία τοὺς πολυκτήμονας δόμους. But see E. on L. § 44. pp. 83, 4.

516. mvp-comment-232-1 The dialectic of the following scene may be compared with Aj. 1047 foll., Ant. 632 foll.

517. mvp-comment-233-1 The spectator is a second time informed of Aegisthus' absence, which is so necessary to the plot. Supr. 310 foll.

518. mvp-comment-234-1 θυραίαν γ'.. φίλους] ‘To go out of doors and bring disgrace upon your relatives:'-i.e. your appearance and conduct in the house are a sufficient disgrace to them. Cp. supr. 312, 3.

521. mvp-comment-235-1 ὡς θρασεῖα] Sc. εἰμί.

522. mvp-comment-236-1 σὲ καὶ τὰ σά] • Thee and thine.' Clytemnestra thus acknowledges that Electra's complaints were never for herself alone, but for her father.

525-526. mvp-comment-237-1 πατήρ .. τέθνηκεν] Your father, that is what you are always holding forth, (how that he) died by my act. By a kind of attraction, the main sentence, as it proceeds, becomes subordinated to the parenthesis.

529. mvp-comment-238-1 ᾖ] Sc. τῇ Δίκῃ.

531. mvp-comment-239-1 μοῦνος Ἑλλήνων] i. e. either (1) he did what no other Greek could have had the heart to do, in sacrificing his child, or (2) while the army consented to the sacrifice, he had the sole responsibility, as commander-in-chief, or (3) when all shrank from the sacrificial act, he himself took the knife to slay his daughter. For (3) cp. Aesch. Ag. 225, ἔτλη δ᾽ οὖν θυτὴρ γενέσθαι θυγατρός, κ.τ.λ., ib. 210, 231 foll.

534. mvp-comment-240-1 τοῦ χάριν τίνων] 'On whose account?' lit. Absolving an obligation to whom?' Others read τοῦ χάριν, τίνων; 'Wherefore, on whose account?'

536. mvp-comment-241-1 1.ε. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μετὴν αὐτοῖσι τῆς γ' ἐμῆς, ὥστε τὴν ἐμὴν κτανεῖν.

537-538. mvp-comment-242-1 But if for his brother Menelaus' sake he slew my child, was it to be expected that I should not requite him for this?'

539. mvp-comment-243-1 παῖδες.. διπλοῖ] Megapenthes and Hermione, the children of Menelaus and Helen.

542-543. mvp-comment-244-1 Or had Death somehow a greater longing to devour my offspring than Helen's?' δαίσασθαι is epexegetic infinitive, sc. τἀμὰ τέκνα δαίσασθαι.

544-545. mvp-comment-245-1 Or had that accursed father given up all care for his children by me, while preserving his affection for Menelaus' offspring?"

548. mvp-comment-246-1 Contrast with this the feeling of Antigone, Ant. 515, οὐ μαρτυρήσει ταῦθ᾽ ὁ κατθανὼν νεκύς.

549-550. mvp-comment-247-1 ἐγὼ. .δύσθυμος] ‘For my part, then, the past causes me no misgiving. She will not confess her alarm before Electra. τοῖς πεπραγμένοις is dative of the reason: Essay on L. § 14. p. 21. Cp. Thuc. 3. 98. § 6, τοῖς πεπραγμένοις φοβούμενος τοὺς ᾿Αθηναίους.

551. mvp-comment-248-1 If you must blame others, do so on just grounds,' lit. Having got hold of a just notion of the case.' These words are a challenge to Electra to show cause why Agamemnon should not have been slain, as the mere fact of his death ( supr. 525, 6) was no sufficient reason for her continued abuse. The stress is on the participial clause, or rather on the word δικαίαν.

552-553. mvp-comment-249-1 έρε ἐρεῖς . . λυπηρόν] The death of Iphigenia was a painful subject to Electra.

556-557. mvp-comment-250-1 εἰ δὲ μ᾿ ὧδ' ἀεὶ λόγους | ἐξήρχες] 'If your speeches to me were always tuned in that key.' με is governed κατὰ σύνεσιν by the whole phrase, as equivalent to ὧδε προσηγόρευες, ἐξάρχειν is used as in ἐξάρχειν μέλος. Electra is imagined as sounding the note to which Clytemnestra responds.

561. mvp-comment-251-1 δίκῃ] 'As moved thereto by Justice:'-dative of the cause.

563-564. mvp-comment-252-1 τίνος .. Αὐλίδι] ‘In requital for what' either (1) He endured that mighty wind at Aulis?' or (2) That great tempest fell upon Aulis?' or (3) She directed (ἐπέσχεν) that mighty wind at Aulis? It may be objected to (1), that if Agamemnon is the subject of ἔσχε, the words πατὴρ οὐμός in 566 are unnecessary. For (3) requiring ἔσχεν to be equivalent to ἐπέσχεν, see Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, 4, and L. and S., s. v. ἔχω, Α. ii. 7, and cp. Il. 14. 57, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ νηυσὶ θοῇσι μάχην ἀλίαστον ἔχουσιν: 11.271, (εἰλειθυῖαι) πικρὰς ὠδῖνας ἔχουσai.

565. mvp-comment-253-1 κείνης.. μαθεῖν] ‘For you may not learn from her;' i. e. Artemis will not hold communication with one so polluted. Clytemnestra notwithstanding appeals to Artemis, infr. 626.

566-569. mvp-comment-254-1 Electra's point is that Agamemnon's fault which provoked Artemis was a light and all but involuntary offence.

567. mvp-comment-255-1 ἐξεκίνησεν ποδοῖν] ‘Startled by his tread.' The language is softened so as to convey the impression that Agamemnon put up the stag accidentally.

569. mvp-comment-256-1 He chanced to let fall some word of boasting.' There is a stress on the participle ἐκκομπάσας.

571-572. mvp-comment-257-1 Electra does not raise the question whether the will of Artemis was just or not. She is contented with shifting the responsibility from Agamemnon.

575. mvp-comment-258-1 The words πολλὰ καὶ ἀντιβάς form a separate clause, unless πολλά be joined to βιασθείς, which is improbable. For which cause, and not for Menelaus'sake, under compulsion, -ay, after many a struggle, he reluctantly sacrificed her.' After making this elaborate statement of the immediate cause, it occurs to Electra that everything connected with the expedition was in one sense done on Menelaus' account. Hence she resumes, with εἰ δ' οὖν, by admitting this, as if for the sake of argument.

579. mvp-comment-259-1 ποίῳ νόμῳ] 'On what principle?' Cp. Ant. 908, τίνος νόμου δὴ ταῦτα πρὸς χάριν λέγω;

584. mvp-comment-260-1 οὐκ οὖσαν] 'Unreal;' i.e. οὐκ ἀληθῆ. Cp. Τhuc. 6. 16, προσποίησίν τε ξυγγενείας .. καὶ μὴ οὖσαν.

589. mvp-comment-261-1 τοὺς δὲ πρόσθεν] Sc. παΐδας, understood πρὸς τὸ σημαινόμενον from παιδοποιεῖς. Essay on L. § 36. p. 64.

590. mvp-comment-262-1 εὐσεβῶν] i. e. ᾿Αγαμέμνονος. Poetical plural. ἐκβαλοῦσ᾽ ἔχεις] «You have cast out from favour. Electra is virtually an outcast, and Orestes, although not banished by his mother's act, durst not return openly to his home.

591. mvp-comment-263-1 πῶς.. ἄν] «Do you expect me to approve of this?'-referring to supr. 550.

591-592. mvp-comment-264-1 ἢ.. λαμβάνεις] « Or will you say that in this, too, you are vindicating your daughter?' τοῦτο, accusative in apposition with τῆς θ. α. λ.

593. mvp-comment-265-1 αἰσχρῶς] Sc. ἐρεῖς. οὐ γὰρ καλόν, κ. τ. λ.]. There is little virtue in,' etc. See on Aj. 1132, 1349.

595-597. mvp-comment-266-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ . . κακοστομοῦμεν 'But then one may not even reason with you, since you reply with all your vehemence that I am reviling my mother.' For ἀλλ᾽ οὐ .. γάρ without apodosis, cp. O. C. 988 foll., ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ οὔτ᾽ ἐν τοῖσδ᾽ ἀκούσομαι κακὸς | γάμοισιν, κ.τ.λ. πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν = πᾶσαν γλῶσσαν ἱεῖσα λέγεις. Cp. Plat. Legg. 10. p. 890 D, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν, τὸ λεγόμενον, φωνὴν ἱέντα τῷ παλαιῷ νόμῳ ἐπίκουρον γίγνεσθαι λόγῳ.

597. mvp-comment-267-1 νέμω] ·And truly I account thee rather my mistress than my mother.' καί has a sarcastic tone as in interrogation, and is nearly = καί τοι, - as in Aj. 92 it may be said to have the force of καὶ μήν.

601. mvp-comment-268-1 ὁ δ᾽ ἄλλος ἔξω] 'And he, moreover, in a foreign land. The article is demonstrative, and ἄλλοs is predicative or adverbial. See Essay on L. § 21. pp. 33, 5. χεῖρα . . φυγών] Electra implies that Clytemnestra would have killed Orestes

601-602. mvp-comment-269-1 if she could, either at the time of Agamemnon's murder, or afterwards.

603. mvp-comment-270-1 σοὶ .. μιάστορα] ‘An avenger of blood against thee.' μιάστωρ is properly one who stains others with his own guilt; here it is one who fixes the stain of guilt by executing vengeance for it. Compare the use of the verb 'to stain' in Elizabethan English: e.g. Shaksp. Ant. and Cleo. 3. 4, 'I'll raise the preparation of a War | Shall stain your brother.'

606. mvp-comment-271-1 εἴτε † χρή) ‘Whether you must call me,' etc. Here, as in Aj. 1373, the reading of the MSS, which is possibly idiomatic, is preferred το χρῇς = χρήζεις, which is a doubtful emendation.

608. mvp-comment-272-1 τῶνδε τῶν ἔργων] ‘Of actions which have this character.' Cp. O. T. 864, 5, τὰν εὔσεπτον ἁγνείαν λόγων ἔργων τε πάντων, ὧν, κ.τ.λ., and note.

609. mvp-comment-273-1 καταισχύνω] Cp. Aj. 1304, 5. ἆρ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἄριστος ἐξ ἀριστέοιν δυοῖν | βλαστὼν ἂν αἰσχύνοιμι τοὺς πρὺς αἵματος;

610. mvp-comment-274-1 ὁρῶ μένος πνέουσαν] Sc. τὴν Κλυταιμνήστραν. This appears from her reply, and also from the comparison οἱ εἰ δὲ σὺν δίκῃ, κ.τ.λ, with supr. 528. Here, as in O. T. 746, Aesch. Ag. 1306, τί δ' ἐστὶ χρῆμα; τίς σ᾽ ἀποστρέφει φόβος; -the dialogue contains a reference to by-play.

614. mvp-comment-275-1 τηλικοῦτος] 'At her age.' Cp. infr. 961, 2:-i.e. Her words are not those of a petulant girl, which might be safely disregarded.

616-619. mvp-comment-276-1 The harshness of Electra is not native to her character, but superinduced, and she is painfully conscious of this.

623. mvp-comment-277-1 πόλλ᾽ ἄγαν λέγειν ποιεῖ] 'Make you to say too much: '-i.e. Are too much the theme of your discourse, in which you say much that you should not.

624. mvp-comment-278-1 viv is here neuter plural = αὐτά.

624-625. mvp-comment-279-1 Translated by Milton:-''Tis you that say it, not I; you do the deeds, And your ungodly deeds find me the words.'

626. mvp-comment-280-1 μὰ τὴν .. "Αρτεμιν] Cp. supr. 565, and note. θράσους is genitive of cause.

627. mvp-comment-281-1 For the repetition of οὐκ, see Essay on L. § 29. p. 48. We are again reminded that Aegisthus is from home. Cp. supr. 517.

628-629. mvp-comment-282-1 μεθεῖσά μοι χρήζοιμ 'After giving me leave to say what I chose.' Supr. 556.

630. mvp-comment-283-1 οὐδ᾽ ὑπ᾿ εὐφήμου βοῆς], 'Not even in silence from clamour:' - i. e. Not even without being pestered by your noise.

632. mvp-comment-284-1 κελεύω] 'I urge it on you:'- i.e. as knowing what need you have to propitiate the gods.

634. mvp-comment-285-1 ἡ παροῦσά μοι] ‘Thou that art with me.' Cp. supr. 424. In Sophocles the attendants are never called by name, -as the Nurse is in Aesch. Cho. 732.

634-635. mvp-comment-286-1 θύμαθ᾽.. πάγκαρπ'] 'Rich offerings of various produce.'

635. mvp-comment-287-1 ἄνακτι . . τῷδ'] 'The king in presence here; '-Apollo Lyceius, infr. 645: ср. О. Т. 919, supr. l. 7.

635-636. mvp-comment-288-1 ὅπως.. ἔχω] 'That I may offer up a prayer for release from the terrors which are now haunting me.' The words, δειμάτων & νῦν ἔχω, are added in construction with λυτηρίους. For the sense, cp. O. Τ. 921, ὅπως λύσιν τιν' ἡμὶν εὐαγῆ πόρῃς.

639-640. mvp-comment-289-1 οὐδὲ πᾶν . . ἐμοί] 'Nor is it fitting that I unfold everything to light while she is near me.' In listening to these words the spectator recollects

640-642. mvp-comment-290-1 that Electra is already in possession of the whole truth about the dream. Cp. supr. 417 foll.

641-642. mvp-comment-291-1 'Lest with inauspicious and noisy outcry she disseminate a lewd report throughout the city.' φθόνῳ is lit. *odium.' ματ ματαίαν is not merely 'causeless,' but 'wanton,' conveying the notion of positive mischief. In πολυγλώσσῳ the first part of the compound is intensive. Cp. supr. 488, 9, infr. 798.

643. mvp-comment-292-1 But hear it, even in the (vague) form in which I will make it known.' Cp. O. C. 484, for the importance attached to the form of words used in prayer.

644. mvp-comment-293-1 γάρ introduces the promised statement.

645. mvp-comment-294-1 δισσῶν is supposed by some to mean, 'Ambiguous; but it is simpler and more natural to understand it either of two different dreams, or of the same dream repeated. Cp. Plat. Phaedo, 60 E, πολλάκις μοι φοιτῶν τὸ αὐτὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι βίῳ, ἄλλοτ᾽ ἐν ἄλλῃ ὄψει φαινόμενον, τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ λέγον, κ.τ.λ.

647. mvp-comment-295-1 ἔμπαλιν] 'On the contrary,'- because ἐμοί is understood with τελεσφόρα in l. 646. μέθες] 'Let it fall instead.'

648-649. mvp-comment-296-1 'And if there is one who plans to cast me forth by guile from my present high estate, do not permit it to him.' Though τινες is plural, Orestes is meant, just as Aegisthus is indicated by the vague φίλοισι in infr. 652. Cp. supr. 590. The spectator knows that the will of Apollo is directly opposed to this petition. For it is difficult to suppose either here or in O. Τ. 908, 919, an entire separation of the Lyceian from the Pythian Apollo. See Introduction.

653. mvp-comment-297-1 καὶ τέκνων ὅσων] ‘And with the children from whom." τέκνοις, the antecedent to ὅσων, is attracted into the case of the relative. Essay on L. § 35. p. 59. She is thinking of Chrysothemis and Iphianassa ( supr. 157) to the exclusion of Electra.

654. mvp-comment-298-1 λύπη] ‘Vexation,' in an active sense.

655. mvp-comment-299-1 This part of the prayer is merely formal, and is uttered in a loud voice, the rest having been spoken aside.

655. mvp-comment-299-2 This part of the prayer is merely formal, and is uttered in a loud voice, the rest having been spoken aside.

660. mvp-comment-300-1 The coming-in of the Old Man prepares the way for the peripeteia by obtaining entrance for the disguised Orestes. It also brings out the heroic character of Electra, by reducing her to a position of despair, and makes more effective her subsequent recognition of Orestes.

660. mvp-comment-300-2 ξέναι] He speaks as a Phocian.

660. mvp-comment-300-3 The coming-in of the Old Man prepares the way for the peripeteia by obtaining entrance for the disguised Orestes. It also brings out the heroic character of Electra, by reducing her to a position of despair, and makes more effective her subsequent recognition of Orestes.

660. mvp-comment-300-4 ξέναι] He speaks as a Phocian.

663. mvp-comment-301-1 δάμαρτα] Sc. οὖσαν.

663. mvp-comment-301-2 δάμαρτα] Sc. οὖσαν.

664. mvp-comment-302-1 πρέπει . . εἰσορᾶν] Though no longer Queen of Agamemnon, the daughter of Tyndareus still wears a royal mien.

664. mvp-comment-302-2 πρέπει . . εἰσορᾶν] Though no longer Queen of Agamemnon, the daughter of Tyndareus still wears a royal mien.

667. mvp-comment-303-1 φίλου παρ᾿ ἀνδρός] Phanoteus, as the enemy of Strophius, Agamemnon's friend, is imagined to be the close ally of Aegisthus. Cp. supr. 45, and note.

667. mvp-comment-303-2 φίλου παρ᾽ ἀνδρός] Phanoteus, as the enemy of Strophius, Agamemnon's friend, is imagined to be the close ally of Aegisthus. Cp. supr. 45, and note.

668. mvp-comment-304-1 ἐδεξάμην τὸ ῥηθέν] I accept the omen.' For this customary mode of appropriating auspicious words, cp. Hdt. 1. 63, Πεισίστρατος δέ, συλλαβὼν τὸ χρηστήριον, καὶ φὰς δέκεσθαι τὸ χρησθέν, ἐπῆγε τὴν στρατιήν: Aesch. Ag. 1652, 3, ΑΙ. .. πρόκωπος οὐκ ἀναίνομαι θανεῖν. | ΧΟ. δεχομένοις λέγεις θανεῖν σε.

668. mvp-comment-304-2 ἐδεξάμην τὸ ῥηθέν] I accept the omen.' For this customary mode of appropriating auspicious words, cp. Hdt. 1. 63, Πεισίστρατος δέ, συλλαβὼν τὸ χρηστήριον, καὶ φὰς δέκεσθαι τὸ χρησθέν, ἐπῆγε τὴν στρατιήν: Aesch. Ag. 1652, 3, ΑΙ. .. πρόκωπος οὐκ ἀναίνομαι θανεῖν. | ΧΟ. δεχομένοις λέγεις θανεῖν σε.

670. mvp-comment-305-1 πρᾶγμα.. μέγα] 'Having on his hands the care of a great matter.' The report is identified with the event.

670. mvp-comment-305-2 πρᾶγμα.. μέγα] 'Having on his hands the care of a great matter.' The report is identified with the event.

675. mvp-comment-306-1 τί φής, τί φής...] For this eager repetition, cp. O. C. 1099, ΟΙ. ποῦ ποῦ; τί φής; πῶς εἶπας; ΑΝ. ὦ πάτερ, πάτερ, κ.τ.λ.

675. mvp-comment-306-2 τί φής, τί φής...] For this eager repetition, cp. O. C. 1099, ΟΙ. ποῦ ποῦ; τί φής; πῶς εἶπας; ΑΝ. ὦ πάτερ, πάτερ, κ.τ.λ.

676. mvp-comment-307-1 I have been saying all this while, and now repeat, that Orestes is dead.' For the participial construction, ср. О. Т. 463-5, and note.

676. mvp-comment-307-2 I have been saying all this while, and now repeat, that Orestes is dead.' For the participial construction, ср. О. Т. 463-5, and note.

678. mvp-comment-308-1 σὺ μὲν . . πρᾶσσ'] 'You, mind your own affairs!' i. e. Do not interrupt us.

678. mvp-comment-308-2 σὺ μὲν . . πρᾶσσ'] 'You, mind your own affairs!' i. e. Do not interrupt us.

680. mvp-comment-309-1 The Old Man now fills up with great spirit (though without an 'oath') the outline which Orestes gave him, supr. 48-50. This narrative, while directly pertinent to the action, also helps to relieve it at a point where it was becoming monotonous. The ornate and exaggerated diction (especially in 730-3) is suited to a fabricated account. Contrast in this respect the speech of Hyllus in Trach. 749 foll.

680. mvp-comment-309-2 The Old Man now fills up with great spirit (though without an 'oath') the outline which Orestes gave him, supr. 48-50. This narrative, while directly pertinent to the action, also helps to relieve it at a point where it was becoming monotonous. The ornate and exaggerated diction (especially in 730-3) is suited to a fabricated account. Contrast in this respect the speech of Hyllus in Trach. 749 foll.

681-682. mvp-comment-310-1 εἰς τὸ κοινὸν . . ἀγῶνος] ‘Το that contest which is the universal pride of Hellas.' ἀγῶνος is to be taken closely with πρόσχημα, as a genitive of definition. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.

681-682. mvp-comment-310-2 εἰς τὸ κοινὸν . . ἀγῶνος] ‘Το that contest which is the universal pride of Hellas.' ἀγῶνος is to be taken closely with πρόσχημα, as a genitive of definition. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.

685. mvp-comment-311-1 He entered the arena, glorious to behold, and drew all men's eyes towards him.' For λαμπρός, cp. Plat. Rep. 8. 560 E, λαμπρὰς μετὰ πολλοῦ χοροῦ κατάγουσιν : Aeschin. 34. 40.

685. mvp-comment-311-2 He entered the arena, glorious to behold, and drew all men's eyes towards him.' For λαμπρός, cp. Plat. Rep. 8. 560 E, λαμπρὰς μετὰ πολλοῦ χοροῦ κατάγουσιν : Aeschin. 34. 40.

686. mvp-comment-312-1 And having finished his courses in a manner worthy of his looks.' Lit. 'Having made the completion of his courses adequate to his personal appearance.' This line has been needlessly and mistakenly altered. φύσις, the outward promise of the man, is an abridgment or resumption of εἰσῆλθε λαμπρός. Cp. Trach. 308, where πρὸς μὲν . . φύσιν is To judge from her appearance:' Pind. Isthm. 6. 30, φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοῖ νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τ' ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις· ἄγει δ' ἀρετὰν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς: Nem. 3. 32, ἐὼν καλὸς ἔρδων τ' ἐοικότα μορφᾷ. The conjecture of Musgr. (ἰσώσας τἀφέσει τὰ τέρματα, Having finished at the starting-place') is forced and meaningless. On the verb ἰσόω, see E. on L. § 51. p. 96.

686. mvp-comment-312-2 And having finished his courses in a manner worthy of his looks.' Lit. 'Having made the completion of his courses adequate to his personal appearance.' This line has been needlessly and mistakenly altered. φύσις, the outward promise of the man, is an abridgment or resumption of εἰσῆλθε λαμπρός. Cp. Trach. 308, where πρὸς μὲν . . φύσιν is To judge from her appearance:' Pind. Isthm. 6. 30, φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοῖ νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τ' ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις· ἄγει δ' ἀρετὰν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς: Nem. 3. 32, ἐὼν καλὸς ἔρδων τ' ἐοικότα μορφᾷ. The conjecture of Musgr. (ἰσώσας τἀφέσει τὰ τέρματα, Having finished at the starting-place') is forced and meaningless. On the verb ἰσόω, see E. on L. § 51. p. 96.

688-689. mvp-comment-313-1 And I know not, indeed, how to tell you a few out of the many successful exploits of such a hero.' This is naturally opposed to what follows, where, instead of selecting particular feats, the Old Man sums up all in a single statement. A slight

688-689. mvp-comment-313-2 And I know not, indeed, how to tell you a few out of the many successful exploits of such a hero.' This is naturally opposed to what follows, where, instead of selecting particular feats, the Old Man sums up all in a single statement. A slight

688-691. mvp-comment-314-1 emendation of l. 688, χὤπως μὲν ἐν παύροισι πολλά, κ.τ.λ., Το tell you much in few, I know of no such (other) hero's achievements and victories,' would make the line clearer in itself, but would destroy the connection with ἓν δ᾽ ἴσθι. But see the end of note on l. 691.

688-691. mvp-comment-314-2 emendation of 1. 688, χὤπως μὲν ἐν παύροισι πολλά, κ.τ.λ., Το tell you much in few, I know of no such (other) hero's achievements and victories,' would make the line clearer in itself, but would destroy the connection with ἓν δ᾽ ἴσθι. But see the end of note on 1. 691.

691. mvp-comment-315-1 Porson's emendation of this line is extremely probable. If the letters περ were displaced, πεν(τ)άθλα might easily be suggested. The relation of ll. 686, 7, to 688- 695, may be questioned. He is describing the first day's performances, and in ll. 686, 7, either (1) states generally what is expanded afterwards, or (2) describes the first race, and then in what follows sums up the remaining contests of the same day. The plural τέρματα, and the structure of the whole passage, decide the point in favour of (1), making each of the two sentences refer to all the foot-races together. Otherwise (3), supposing the language to be more than usually inexact, the lines may be taken to mean, To tell only a little when there is much to tell, I know no feats to be compared with his. One thing you may know,' etc.

691. mvp-comment-315-2 Porson's emendation of this line is extremely probable. If the letters περ were displaced, πεν(τ)άθλα might easily be suggested. The relation of 11. 686, 7, to 688- 695, may be questioned. He is describing the first day's performances, and in 11.686, 7, either (1) states generally what is expanded afterwards, or (2) describes the first race, and then in what follows sums up the remaining contests of the same day. The plural τέρματα, and the structure of the whole passage, decide the point in favour of (1), making each of the two sentences refer to all the foot-races together. Otherwise (3), supposing the language to be more than usually inexact, the lines may be taken to mean, To tell only a little when there is much to tell, I know no feats to be compared with his. One thing you may know,' etc.

693-695. mvp-comment-316-1 He received the congratulations of the crowd, being known by proclamation as an Argive, named Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who levied once the famous armament of Hellas.'

693-695. mvp-comment-316-2 He received the congratulations of the crowd, being known by proclamation as an Argive, named Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who levied once the famous armament of Hellas.'

696-697. mvp-comment-317-1 ὅταν . . βλάπτῃ] 'But when some god is thwarting.'

696-697. mvp-comment-317-2 ὅταν . . βλάπτῃ] 'But when some god is thwarting.'

699. mvp-comment-318-1 ἡλίου τέλλοντος] “At sunrise:' i.e. beginning then.

699. mvp-comment-318-2 ἡλίου τέλλοντος] “At sunrise:' i.e. beginning then.

702. mvp-comment-319-1 ζυγωτῶν ἁρμάτων ἐπιστάται] Masters of yoked cars.' Hdt. 4. 189, τέσσερας ἵππους συζευγνύναι παρὰ Λιβύων οἱ Ἕλληνες μεμαθήκασι. Hence, possibly, the position of this general epithet. The fame of Cyrene in chariot-racing is known to us from Pindar.

702. mvp-comment-319-2 ζυγωτῶν ἁρμάτων ἐπιστάται] Masters of yoked cars.' Hdt. 4. 189, τέσσερας ἵππους συζευγνύναι παρὰ Λιβύων οἱ Ἕλληνες μεμαθήκασι. Hence, possibly, the position of this general epithet. The fame of Cyrene in chariot-racing is known to us from Pindar.

703. mvp-comment-320-1 Θεσσαλάς] Orestes was exiled from the plain of ῎Αργος ἱππόβοτον, and Phocis was too mountainous for horse-breeding.' The Athenian spectator might here be reminded of his faithful allies, the Thessalian horsemen. The five first mentioned come from Dorian states, the rest being either Ionic or Aeolian. ἐν τούτοισι, ' Enter-

703. mvp-comment-320-2 Θεσσαλάς] Orestes was exiled from the plain of ῎Αργος ἱππόβοτον, and Phocis was too mountainous for horse-breeding.' The Athenian spectator might here be reminded of his faithful allies, the Thessalian horsemen. The five first mentioned come from Dorian states, the rest being either Ionic or Aeolian. ἐν τούτοισι, 'Enter-

703-706. mvp-comment-321-1 ing himself with the foregoing,' calls attention to this difference.

703-706. mvp-comment-321-2 ing himself with the foregoing,' calls attention to this difference.

705-706. mvp-comment-322-1 The descriptive epithets in this and the next line, while adding vividness to the picture, may have had some special appropriateness that would be felt by the Greek hearer.

705-706. mvp-comment-322-2 The descriptive epithets in this and the next line, while adding vividness to the picture, may have had some special appropriateness that would be felt by the Greek hearer.

706. mvp-comment-323-1 Αἰνιάν] Hdt. 7. 132, 198.

706. mvp-comment-323-2 Αἰνιάν] Hdt. 7. 132, 198.

707. mvp-comment-324-1 The ornate epithet is reserved for Athens.

707. mvp-comment-324-2 The ornate epithet is reserved for Athens.

708. mvp-comment-325-1 δέκατον ἐκπληρῶν ὄχον] ‘Making ten chariots in all.' Cp. Hdt. 9. 30, σὺν δὲ Θεσπιέων τοῖσι παρεοῦσι ἐξεπληροῦντο αἱ ἕνδεκα μυριάδες, -and, for the use of the ordinal numeral, ib. 1. 51, ἕλκων σταθμὸν ἔννατον ἡμιτάλαντον, and the like expressions. There is a slight confusion or condensation of δέκατον ὄχον ἐλαύνων and ἐκπληρῶν τοὺς δέκα ὄχους.

708. mvp-comment-325-2 δέκατον ἐκπληρῶν ὄχον] ‘Making ten chariots in all.' Cp. Hdt. 9. 30, σὺν δὲ Θεσπιέων τοῖσι παρεοῦσι ἐξεπληροῦντο αἱ ἕνδεκα μυριάδες, -and, for the use of the ordinal numeral, ib. 1. 51, ἕλκων σταθμὸν ἔννατον ἡμιτάλαντον, and the like expressions. There is a slight confusion or condensation of δέκατον ὄχον ἐλαύνων and ἐκπληρῶν τοὺς δέκα ὄχους.

710. mvp-comment-326-1 'Had set the chariots in order after sorting them with lots.' κλήρους ἔπηλαν would have been a simpler construction, but πάλλειν is used absolutely of casting lots, and then receives the addition of an instrumental dative. Cp. supr. l. 21, and note. The construction of the whole line is paratactic for πήλαντες κατέστησαν. Essay on L. § 36. p. 68. αὐτούς in the previous line is in a general construction with what follows.

710. mvp-comment-326-2 'Had set the chariots in order after sorting them with lots.' κλήρους ἔπηλαν would have been a simpler construction, but πάλλειν is used absolutely of casting lots, and then receives the addition of an instrumental dative. Cp. supr. l. 21, and note. The construction of the whole line is paratactic for πήλαντες κατέστησαν. Essay on L. § 36. p. 68. αὐτούς in the previous line is in a general construction with what follows.

711. mvp-comment-327-1 ήξαν] 'The start was made.' The verb has a vague subject in which horses, charioteers, and chariots, are included in one notion. Off they went!' Hence in what follows the charioteers are particularized with the demonstrative οἱ.

711. mvp-comment-327-2 ήξαν] 'The start was made.' The verb has a vague subject in which horses, charioteers, and chariots, are included in one notion. Off they went!' Hence in what follows the charioteers are particularized with the demonstrative οἱ. ἅμα] 'At the same moment;' i. e. All together at the moment of the start.

711-712. mvp-comment-328-1 ἅμα] 'At the same moment;' i. e. All together at the moment of the start.

714. mvp-comment-329-1 κροτητῶν] 'Rattling along:' i.e. the parts of each chariot being rattled against each other, and all against the ground, made a din which filled the place. On the use of the verbal adj., see E. on L. § 53. p. 98.

714. mvp-comment-329-2 κροτητῶν] 'Rattling along:' i.e. the parts of each chariot being rattled against each other, and all against the ground, made a din which filled the place. On the use of the verbal adj., see E. on L. § 53. p. 98.

716-717. mvp-comment-330-1 ὡς .. ἱππικά] Either (1) Whenever any one of them shot ahead of the axle-ends (of the others) and the snorting of the steeds;' i.e. For the most part they were mingled in a confused throng; but when one drew before the rest, then was the moment of excitement, -for the breath of the foaming steeds immediately behind him was an incentive to make him drive faster still. Or (2) Each of them that he might get away from the wheel-naves and the snorting of the steeds :'- each was eager to escape from the neighbourhood of the rest, so as to have free course. But the following lines, which speak of a rival pursuing

716-717. mvp-comment-330-2 ὡς .. ἱππικά] Either (1) Whenever any one of them shot ahead of the axle-ends (of the others) and the snorting of the steeds;' i.e. For the most part they were mingled in a confused throng; but when one drew before the rest, then was the moment of excitement, -for the breath of the foaming steeds immediately behind him was an incentive to make him drive faster still. Or (2) Each of them that he might get away from the wheel-naves and the snorting of the steeds :'- each was eager to escape from the neighbourhood of the rest, so as to have free course. But the following lines, which speak of a rival pursuing

717-719. mvp-comment-331-1 closely in the rear, cannot be equally applicable to all the ten. For the phraseology, cp. Eur. Iph. A. 228-30, οἷς παρεπάλλετο | Πηλείδας σὺν ὅπλοισι παρ᾿ ἄντυγα | καὶ σύριγγας ἁρματείους. (3) Supposing the general sense to be as in (1), χνόας and φρυάγματα may possibly be accusatives of 'limitation,' 'drew ahead with car and team.'

717-719. mvp-comment-331-2 closely in the rear, cannot be equally applicable to all the ten. For the phraseology, cp. Eur. Iph. A. 228-30, οἷς παρεπάλλετο | Πηλείδας σὺν ὅπλοισι παρ᾿ ἄντυγα | καὶ σύριγγας ἁρματείους. (3) Supposing the general sense to be as in (1), χνόας and φρυάγματα may possibly be accusatives of 'limitation,' 'drew ahead with car and team.'

718-719. mvp-comment-332-1 For close about his back and whirling wheels the breath of horses cast its foam.' Cp. Il. 23.373- 81, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πύματον τέλεον δρόμον ὠκέες ἵπποι | .. τότε δὴ ἀρετή γε ἑκάστου | φαίνετ᾽, ἄφαρ δ' ἵπποισι τάθη δρόμος· ὦκα δ' ἔπειτα | αἱ Φηρητιάδαο ποδώκεες ἔκφερον ἵπποι. | τὰς δὲ μετ᾿ ἐξέφερον Διομήδεος ἄρσενες ἵπποι, | Τρώϊοι, οὐδέ τι πολλὸν ἄνευθ᾽ ἔσαν, ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ ἐγγύς· αἰεὶ γὰρ δίφρου ἐπιβησομένοισιν ἐἰκτην, | πνοιῇ τ᾿ Εὐμήλοιο μετάφρενον εὐρέε τ᾿ ὤμα | θέρμετ᾽· ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ γὰρ κεφαλὰς καταθέντε πετέσθην.

718-719. mvp-comment-332-2 For close about his back and whirling wheels the breath of horses cast its foam.' Cp. Il. 23.373- 81, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πύματον τέλεον δρόμον ὠκέες ἵπποι | .. τότε δὴ ἀρετή γε ἑκάστου | φαίνετ᾽, ἄφαρ δ' ἵπποισι τάθη δρόμος· ὦκα δ' ἔπειτα | αἱ Φηρητιάδαο ποδώκεες ἔκφερον ἵπποι. | τὰς δὲ μετ᾿ ἐξέφερον Διομήδεος ἄρσενες ἵπποι, | Τρώϊοι, οὐδέ τι πολλὸν ἄνευθ᾽ ἔσαν, ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ ἐγγύς· αἰεὶ γὰρ δίφρου ἐπιβησομένοισιν ἐἰκτην, | πνοιῇ τ᾿ Εὐμήλοιο μετάφρενον εὐρέε τ᾿ ὤμα | θέρμετ᾽· ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ γὰρ κεφαλὰς καταθέντε πετέσθην.

720. mvp-comment-333-1 κεῖνος] Orestes. ὑπ᾿ αὐτὴν . . ἔχων] 'Driving close under the last pillar.' ἐσχάτην, i. e. at the extreme end of the spina. ἔχων] Sc. τοὺς ἵππους.

720. mvp-comment-333-2 κεῖνος] Orestes. ὑπ᾿ αὐτὴν . . ἔχων] 'Driving close under the last pillar.' ἐσχάτην, i. e. at the extreme end of the spina. ἔχων] Sc. τοὺς ἵππους.

721. mvp-comment-334-1 ἔχριμπτ᾿ ἀεὶ σύριγγα] ‘Grazed the nave of his wheel every time:' i.e. all but made it touch, or seemed to graze-real contact is of course not meant.

721. mvp-comment-334-2 ἔχριμπτ᾿ ἀεὶ σύριγγα] ‘Grazed the nave of his wheel every time:' i.e. all but made it touch, or seemed to graze-real contact is of course not meant.

721-722. mvp-comment-335-1 δεξιὸν .. προσκείμενον] 'And, letting go the trace-horse on the right, held in the one that was nearest to the inside of the course.' The two σειραῖοι ἵπποι, so called because not harnessed to the yoke but attached by traces right and left, were practically the leaders of the τέθριππον, or team; and their movements at the critical moment of turning the goal were of the greatest consequence. Cp. Eur. Iph. A. 221-4, τοὺς μὲν μέσους ζυγίους, | .. τοὺς δ᾽ ἔξω σειροφόρους, | ἀντήρεις καμπαῖσι δρόμων. They must be supposed to know their duty, and only to need a reminder from the charioteer, who holds each of them by a single rein (single, i.e. in his hand). The language of the present passage proves that the direction of the running was from right to left, and the δεξιός σειραῖος had consequently to describe a larger semicircle while the 'near' horse was making the turn. That the right hand horse may perform this movement successfully and thus swing the chariot round without mishap, the charioteer gives him the rein, and at the same time holds in the left-hand trace-horse, who, as nearest to the goal, is called προσκείμενος. As soon as this evolution is accomplished, however, the driver must slacken again the left-hand rein, so that both steeds may cover the θάτερον κῶλον of the race-course with equal strides. And if from over-eagerness he does this an instant too soon, he is obviously in great danger of striking the nave of the left-hand wheel against the goal, because the horse when let go will instinctively 'cut off a corner' and pull the car along a chord of the circle instead of completing the arc. This is what is supposed to happen to Orestes, infr. 743-5. (So Wecklein also explains.)

721-722. mvp-comment-335-2 δεξιὸν .. προσκείμενον] 'And, letting go the trace-horse on the right, held in the one that was nearest to the inside of the course.' The two σειραῖοι ἵπποι, so called because not harnessed to the yoke but attached by traces right and left, were practically the leaders of the τέθριππον, or team; and their movements at the critical moment of turning the goal were of the greatest consequence. Cp. Eur. Iph. A. 221-4, τοὺς μὲν μέσους ζυγίους, | .. τοὺς δ᾽ ἔξω σειροφόρους, | ἀντήρεις καμπαῖσι δρόμων. They must be supposed to know their duty, and only to need a reminder from the charioteer, who holds each of them by a single rein (single, i.e. in his hand). The language of the present passage proves that the direction of the running was from right to left, and the δεξιός σειραῖος had consequently to describe a larger semicircle while the 'near' horse was making the turn. That the right hand horse may perform this movement successfully and thus swing the chariot round without mishap, the charioteer gives him the rein, and at the same time holds in the left-hand trace-horse, who, as nearest to the goal, is called προσκείμενος. As soon as this evolution is accomplished, however, the driver must slacken again the left-hand rein, so that both steeds may cover the θάτερον κῶλον of the race-course with equal strides. And if from over-eagerness he does this an instant too soon, he is obviously in great danger of striking the nave of the left-hand wheel against the goal, because the horse when let go will instinctively 'cut off a corner' and pull the car along a chord of the circle instead of completing the arc. This is what is supposed to happen to Orestes, infr. 743-5. (So Wecklein also explains.)

725. mvp-comment-336-1 βίᾳ φέρουσιν] Sc. τὸ ἅρμα, 'Became unmanageable.' Essay on L. §53. p. 98. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1224.

725. mvp-comment-336-2 βίᾳ φέρουσιν] Sc. τὸ ἅρμα, 'Became unmanageable.' Essay on L. §53. p. 98. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1224.

725-726. mvp-comment-337-1 ἐκ δ᾽ ὑποστροφῆς] Either (1) 'After turning the goal,' or (2) 'Having turned sharply aside.' See next note.

725-726. mvp-comment-337-2 ἐκ δ᾽ ὑποστροφῆς] Either (1) 'After turning the goal,' or (2) 'Having turned sharply aside.' See next note.

726. mvp-comment-338-1 When finishing the sixth and now (running) the seventh course.' Not τελοῦντες, but a more general word, e.g. θέοντες, is to be supplied with ἔβδομον. Essay on L. § 36. pp. 65, 6, 2. The grammatical irregularity assists the graphic effect. The scene changes while it is being described. Ср. О. С. 1648-50, ἐξαπείδομεν | τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸν μὲν οὐδαμοῦ παρόντ᾽ ἔτι, | ἄνακτα δ᾽ αὐτόν, κ.τ.λ., and note. The masculine τελοῦντες either (1) implies that the white horses of the Aenian were, like those of Diomede in Il. 23 (1. c. supr. 718, 9), ἄρσενες ἵπποι, - which may part account for their behaviour; or (2) τελοῦντες is a nominative absolute having for subject the charioteers collectively. This line seems at first sight to support the former interpretation (1) of l. 725, ἐκ δ᾽ ὑποστροφής. But the point in the course is sufficiently indicated without such an addition; and in the other sense (2) the phrase forms a suitable preparation for l. 727. The imagination is assisted if we suppose these chariots to be somewhat wide of the goal, so that one of them might face about without striking the στήλη. In μέτωπα, as in κάρα infr. 740, the chariot and horses are thought of together as a single object. The accident happens just when the race is half finished, -six of the twelve customary courses having being run. Cp. Pind. O1. 2. 88-90, Πυθῶνι . . Χάριτες ἄνθεα τεθρίππων δυωκαιδεκαδρόμων | ἄγαγον.

726. mvp-comment-338-2 When finishing the sixth and now (running) the seventh course.' Not τελοῦντες, but a more general word, e.g. θέοντες, is to be supplied with ἔβδομον. Essay on L. § 36. pp. 65, 6, 2. The grammatical irregularity assists the graphic effect. The scene changes while it is being described. Ср. О. С. 1648-50, ἐξαπείδομεν | τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸν μὲν οὐδαμοῦ παρόντ᾽ ἔτι, | ἄνακτα δ᾽ αὐτόν, κ.τ.λ., and note. The masculine τελοῦντες either (1) implies that the white horses of the Aenian were, like those of Diomede in Il. 23 (1. c. supr. 718, 9), ἄρσενες ἵπποι, - which may part account for their behaviour; or (2) τελοῦντες is a nominative absolute having for subject the charioteers collectively. This line seems at first sight to support the former interpretation (1) of 1. 725, ἐκ δ᾽ ὑποστροφής. But the point in the course is sufficiently indicated without such an addition; and in the other sense (2) the phrase forms a suitable preparation for 1. 727. The imagination is assisted if we suppose these chariots to be somewhat wide of the goal, so that one of them might face about without striking the στήλη. In μέτωπα, as in κάρα infr. 740, the chariot and horses are thought of together as a single object. The accident happens just when the race is half finished, -six of the twelve customary courses having being run. Cp. Pind. O1. 2. 88-90, Πυθῶνι . . Χάριτες ἄνθεα τεθρίππων δυωκαιδεκαδρόμων | ἄγαγον.

731. mvp-comment-339-1 The Athenian charioteer is represented as the most skilful. It is obvious how this is calculated to sustain the interest of the audience. See also ll. 738-40.

731. mvp-comment-339-2 The Athenian charioteer is represented as the most skilful. It is obvious how this is calculated to sustain the interest of the audience. See also 11. 738-40.

732-733. mvp-comment-340-1 Pulls aside out of the way and heaves to, letting go by the surge of horses and their riders that was boiling there.' Not content with the hyperbole in supr. 730, the Old Man adds this yet stronger expression. See above, note on 680 foll.

732-733. mvp-comment-340-2 Pulls aside out of the way and heaves to, letting go by the surge of horses and their riders that was boiling there.' Not content with the hyperbole in supr. 730, the Old Man adds this yet stronger expression. See above, note on 680 foll.

734-735. mvp-comment-341-1 'Now Orestes was driving last, holding his horses back, relying on the finish.' There were six courses yet to be. See note on 726, supr. According to this reading the participial clause is explanatory of ἤλαυνε, and μέν points forward, opposing the position of Orestes before and after he saw that the Athenian alone was left. Some MSS. read ὑστέρας δ', opposing ἔσχατος to ὑστέρας ἔχων πώλους. He was last, indeed, but was holding back.'

734-735. mvp-comment-341-2 'Now Orestes was driving last, holding his horses back, relying on the finish.' There were six courses yet to be. See note on 726, supr. According to this reading the participial clause is explanatory of ἤλαυνε, and μέν points forward, opposing the position of Orestes before and after he saw that the Athenian alone was left. Some MSS. read ὑστέρας δ', opposing ἔσχατος to ὑστέρας ἔχων πώλους. He was last, indeed, but was holding back.'

736. mvp-comment-342-1 When Orestes saw that the Athenian remained alone.' So Mr. Paley, rightly.

737-738. mvp-comment-343-1 ὀξὺν . . διώκει] • He urged his swift steeds vehemently with shouts that pierced their ears, and makes for him.' ἐνσείειν is a vivid word (Essay on L. § 56. p. 102) which is more properly applicable to hurling hounds at game, throwing an attacking force into a town, etc. Cp. Eur. Or. 255, 6, ὦ μῆτερ, ἱκετεύω σε, μὴ πίσειε μοι | τὰς αἱματωποὺς καὶ δρακοντώδεις κόρας.

738-739. mvp-comment-344-1 κἀξισώσαντε ζυγὰ | ἠλαυνέτην] 'And now they were yoke by yoke, and on they drave.'

739-740. mvp-comment-345-1 τότ᾿ ἄλλος . . ὀχημάτων] 'Now one, and then the other drawing ahead.' κάρα is used analogically of man, car, and steeds, considered as one object; and the genitive ἱππικῶν ὀχημάτων is added to make this clear. (Not 'Putting his head forth from the car.') For the variation of the language in τότε-ἄλλοτε, ἄλλος - ἅτερος, cp. Trach. 457, δέδοικας . . ταρβεῖς.

741. mvp-comment-346-1 It is implied that Orestes' fall took place in the middle of the twelfth and last course.

742. mvp-comment-347-1 The ill-starred youth stood safely on a steady car.'

743-745. mvp-comment-348-1 Then in slackening the left-hand rein while the horse was making the turn, unawares he struck the edge of the goal and splintered the end of his axle-tree.' Cp. supr. 721, 2, and note. The horse making the turn is ὁ προσκείμενος.

746-747. mvp-comment-349-1 κἀξ ἀντύγων .. τμητοῖς ἱμᾶσι] And in a moment he had slipped over the rim of the chariot, and was rolled along together with it by means of the sharp-cut thongs.' Here it must be borne in mind that the reins were passed round the body of the charioteer, as, for instance, in the marble reliefs in the 'Sala della Biga' in the Vatican. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1221, 2. This point has not escaped Mr. Browning :-' The prince around his body flung the rein.' Artemis Prologizes. Hence, when the body of the chariot was arrested by some sudden obstacle, instead of being jerked from his grasp, they would pull him over the ἄντυξ, and would drag him when the car was again in motion. σύν, sc. ταῖς ἵπποις οι τῷ ἅρματι. ἱμᾶσι is dative of the instrument. τμητοῖς, lit. 'cut,' is suggestive of the sharp edges of the reins. Cp. infr. 862, τμητοῖς ὁλκοῖς ἐγκύρσαι.

748. mvp-comment-350-1 διεσπάρησαν ἐς μέσον δρόμον]

748. mvp-comment-350-2 'Plunged wildly about the course.' μέσον, SC. ἐν μέσῳ τῶν θεατῶν, vaguely distinguishes the field generally from the line of running. διεσπάρησαν, lit. 'were scattered,' is used inaccurately to suggest aimless movement.

749. mvp-comment-351-1 στρατός] 'The assembly.' Cp. Aesch. Eum. 762, χώρᾳ τῇδε καὶ τῷ σῷ στρατῷ.

752-753. mvp-comment-352-1 φορούμενος προφαίνων] 'As he was dragged upon the ground, and now and then his legs were pointed to the sky.' The opposition with ἄλλοτε is suggested as the description proceeds. Hence not ἄλλοτε ἄλλοτε.

753. mvp-comment-353-1 διφρηλάται] Some of the charioteers from the other chariots, who had been thrown, but not seriously hurt.

758. mvp-comment-354-1 μέγιστον σῶμα δειλαίας σποδοῦ] His mighty frame reduced to' (lit. consisting of) hapless dust.' See E. on L. § 10. p. 17, 6. On the supposed great stature of Orestes, see Hdt. 1. 68, where his bones are found at Tegea :-ἐπέτυχον σόρῳ ἑπταπήχεϊ .. καὶ εἶδον τὸν νεκρὸν μήκεϊ ἴσον ἔοντα τῷ σόρῳ.

760. mvp-comment-355-1 ἐκλάχοι] The mood depends on the idea of past time contained either in φέρουσι . . τεταγμένοι, i.e. ἐτάχθησαν φέρειν, or in the whole of the previous sentence.

761. mvp-comment-356-1 τοιαῦτα . . ἐστίν] Cp. Ant. 37, οὕτως ἔχει σοι ταῦτα, and note. ὡς μὲν ἐν λόγῳ] 'In description, indeed;' ὡς is pleonastic. Cp. О. С. 15, ὡς ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων.

764. mvp-comment-357-1 δεσπόταισι] δεσπότης is not used elsewhere of an Hellenic ruler. Can Sophocles have forgotten for a moment that the Chorus were freewomen ( infr. 1227)? Or should the speech be given to an οἰκέτης?

765. mvp-comment-358-1 Cp. Hdt. 6. 86, Γλαύκου νῦν οὔτε ἀπόγονόν ἐστι οὐδέν,.. ἐκτέτριπταί τε πρόρριζος ἐκ Σπάρτης.

766-768. mvp-comment-359-1 Clytemnestra is awed for the moment, and her profound relief is mingled with a pang of sorrow.

770. mvp-comment-360-1 δεινὸν . . ἐστίν] 'Motherhood has strange power.'

770-771. mvp-comment-361-1 κακῶς | πάσχοντι] She regards herself as ill-treated by Orestes, because she knew that he would avenge his father if he could. Cp. supr. 293 foll., 603 foll., infr. 779.

771. mvp-comment-362-1 ὧν τέκῃ] ἄv is omitted. See Essay on L. § 27. P. 45.

772. mvp-comment-363-1 μάτην .. ἥκομεν] 'I have made a mistake in coming;' i.e. I see that I have given no satisfaction, and therefore shall receive no reward.

775. mvp-comment-364-1 τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς γεγώς] 'Sprung from my very life.' For this pathetic use of ψυχή, cp. Aesch. Cho. 749, τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς τριβήν. Το mark the horror of the situation she expresses Orestes' original nearness to her in the strongest manner. Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 2. 3, 'The near in blood, The nearer bloody.'

776. mvp-comment-365-1 μαστῶν . . ἐμῆς] 'Going aloof from my breast that gave him suck.' The words μαστῶν καὶ τροφῆς are used figuratively for the debt of obligation due from a son to his mother. Orestes at the time of Agamemnon's death must have been at least ten years old.

780-781. mvp-comment-366-1 ὥστ᾽ οὔτε νυκτός. . ἡδύν] 'So that I have no rest by night, nor can I snatch from the day a sweet moment of repose to enfold me.' στεγάζειν is adapted to ἐξ ἡμέρας-some more general word, such as ἴσχειν, being understood with νυκτός. ἐξ implies that the time is taken from the day, and would not naturally be given to sleep. ἡδύν means, if I do fall asleep, I am terrified with dreams;' i.e. I can neither sleep comfortably at night, nor take a quiet nap in the day-time.

781-782. mvp-comment-367-1 ἀλλ᾽ ὁ προστατῶν.. θανουμένην] But Time ever standing over me was a jailor who conducted me to death. The inversion (for χρόνον διῆ-

782-784. mvp-comment-368-1 yov, see Essay on L. § 42. p. 80 ß) is here forcible in personifying χρόνος. For προστατῶν, instans, cp. Aesch. Agam. 976, δείγμα προστατήριον.

783-784. mvp-comment-369-1 But then, to-day's event has rid me once for all of fears from him and her.' The suppressed or deferred apodosis is resumed in 1. 786. In τῆσδ᾽ ἐκείνου θ' the more emphatic pronoun is put first.

784-785. mvp-comment-370-1 ἥδε γὰρ . . ἦν μοι] For she, dwelling under the same roof, has been a greater bane to me.' οὖσα must be supplied either with βλάβη or with ξύνοικος, and μοι belongs to both.

785-786. mvp-comment-371-1 τοὐμὸν αἷμα] 'Incessantly draining my very life-blood.' ἄκρατον πιεῖν, 'to drink wine unqualified,' seems to have become a synonym for hard drinking. Cp. Od. 9. 297, ἀνδρόμεα κρέ᾽ ἔδων καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἄκρητον γάλα πίνων: Aesch. Cho. 577, 8, φόνου δ' Ἐρινὺς οὐχ ὑπεσπανισμένη | ἄκρατον αἷμα πίεται, τρίτην πόσιν. The force of the adjective here is simply intensive. The addition of ψυχῆς marks the figurative nature of the expression.

791. mvp-comment-372-1 οὔτοι σύ] Sc. ἔχεις καλῶς. 'You are not as I would wish you,'- viz. dead.

792. mvp-comment-373-1 Either (1) Clytemnestra takes the word Νέμεσι alone, ignoring the qualification, 'Nemesis' (the spirit of just allotment) has heard those whom she ought to hear and has nobly ratified their prayer.' Or (2) she implies a different use of the genitive, as the ἀλάστωρ ᾿Ατρέως in Aesch. Ag. 1501, 2, is the Spirit of Vengeance for the crime of Atreus; so here the Νέμεσις τοῦ θανόντος might be the Spirit which has paid him what was due. But (1) is more probable.

795. mvp-comment-374-1 Mr. Paley reads οὔκουν with a full stop after τάδε. But the reply of Electra suits better with the ironical question, 'You and Orestes will stop my insolence, will you not?'

797-798. mvp-comment-375-1 Your coming, stranger, is like to prove most worthy of reward, if you have indeed put an end to her loud outcry.' ἂν ἥκοις = ἥκεις, ὡς

798-803. mvp-comment-376-1 ἔοικαs, an objective being put for a subjective probability, as in the well. known idiom with μέλλω. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1182, τὰ πάντ᾽ ἂν ἐξήκοι σαφῆ: Aj. 186, ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος, -and notes, - infr. 1372, 3. εἰ is here used with the aor. indicative (aor. of immediate past) as elsewhere with the present, to introduce a supposition that is regarded as certain. For el with aor. indicative, of that which is granted or assumed, cp. Aesch. Pers. 217, εἴ τι φλαῦρον εἶδες. (So Ellendt, 'Siquidem effecisti, etc.')

800. mvp-comment-377-1 ἐπείπερ] Ο. C. 75, 6, ἐπείπερ εἶ | γενναῖος, ὡς ἰδόντι. καταξίως] The use of the optative without av may be defended by supposing a resumption from the preceding line. Paley's ἐπεὶ τὰν .. καταξίως is preferable to Bothe's κατάξι ἄν. Another MS. reading, κατ᾿ ἀξίαν, is also possible.

803. mvp-comment-378-1 φίλων] Orestes, including perhaps the death of Agamemnon.' Paley. Rather, including the destruction of the remaining hope that Agamemnon might be avenged. At this point Clytemnestra and the Paedagogus enter the house, and Electra is left alone upon the stage.

809. mvp-comment-379-1 ἀποσπάσας . οἴχει] 'In thy departure thou hast torn away.' For the familiar phrase, cp. O. C. 866, ψιλὸν ὄμμ᾽ ἀποσπάσας . . ἐξοίχει.

811. mvp-comment-380-1 Orestes was to come to the aid both of his father and sister:-i.e. to avenge his father and reinstate his sister. But the notions are not distinguished, for vengeance is regarded as a kind of aid. Cp. infr. 1392, ἀρωγός.

812. mvp-comment-381-1 ποῖ με χρὴ μολεῖν] ‘Whither must I turn?' Cp. Aj. 1006, ποῖ γὰρ μολεῖν μοι δυνατόν, εἰς ποίους βροτούς;

814-816. mvp-comment-382-1 Cp. supr. 263 foll., infr. 1190 foll.

816. mvp-comment-383-1 ἀράμοι καλῶς ἔχει] 'Isit well with me, then?' The repetition of the words used above, 1. 790, may be accidental (Essay on L. § 44. p. 82), but may also, as Mr. Paley suggests, refer to supr. 791. This is rather confirmed by the repetition of ξύνοικος in what follows, echoing supr. 785; i.e. 'I wonder if they will be contented now I am reduced to this! But at all events I will not trouble them henceforth by dwelling with them.'

817. mvp-comment-384-1 τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνου] ‘For any portion of the time to come.' Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 5.

818. mvp-comment-385-1 Hermann's suggestion, adopted in the text, affords a probable, though by no means certain, emendation of this line. ξύνοικος must be taken in a slightly pregnant or proleptic sense= ὥστε ξύνοικος εἶναι.

818-819. mvp-comment-386-1 τῇδε πρὸς πύλῃ βίον] ' I will let myself drop beside the gate and, without a friend, here wither my life away. She sinks into a half-recumbent attitude and remains so until the beginning of the commos. Sappho, Fr. 17, παρ δ᾽ ἱεῖσαι πτερά: Tennyson's Elaine, 'She slipped like water to the floor.' Mr. Paley calls this sensational.' But it is not more so than the death of Ajax, than Heracles (Trach. 1079, 80) unveiling his wounds than Oedipus appearing with eyes still bleeding, etc. The question is whether 11. 820-2, being spoken in this posture, may not be appropriate to this critical moment of darkness before dawn.'

820. mvp-comment-387-1 εἰ βαρύνεται] Clytemnestra had spoken impatiently of the vexation of having Electra in the house with her, supr. 784. 5. Electra now says, 'If her lying at the gate is a vexation to any one, let them put her out of the way, and welcome!'

823-869. mvp-comment-388-1 In this short commos, in which the broken lines are expressive of intense feeling, the several members of the Chorus, with the exception of the Coryphaeus, who, having spoken in 11. 764, 5, remains in silent sympathy with Electra, attempt to rouse her from her utter despair, partly with consolation and partly with expressions of pity. But she is, if possible, more inconsolable than before. The metres are as follows:-

823-826. mvp-comment-389-1 Orestes being dead and his father unavenged, the Powers of Heaven themselves must interfere. The sun must surely see this iniquity, the lightning must descend to punish it.

826. mvp-comment-390-1 κρύπτουσιν] Either (1) sc. ἑαυτούς, 'They They hide themselves.' Cp. κεύθω. Or (2) sc. τὸ ἐφορᾶν: i.e. 'If seeing this they make as if they saw not, and remain unmoved.' Cp. Hom. H. 26. 7, where there is a similar doubt.

828-830. mvp-comment-391-1 The words intended for consolation only wring a cry from Electra, and when asked the reason, she answers with a louder cry: on which the Chorus deprecate this excess of sorrow. μηδέν is adverbial, and μέγα cognate accusative. Cp. Aj. 1066, μηδὲν δεινὸν ἐξάρῃς μένος.

831. mvp-comment-392-1 ἀπολεῖς] Electra, when asked the reason of her weeping, and told not to cry aloud, can only understand this as a suggestion that Orestes is alive.

834-836. mvp-comment-393-1 If you will suggest a hope concerning one who is manifestly gone below, you will but press with heavier weight against my pining soul.' For the genitive τῶν.. οἰχομένων, see Essay on L. § 9. p. 13, 3, and ib. p. 12, 2. In ὑποίσεις, ὑπο is used as in ὑπεῖπον, - φέρω as in προφέρω.

836. mvp-comment-394-1 ἐπεμβάσει contains a metaphor from trampling on the fallen. Cp. supr. 456: Aj. 1348, οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προσεμβῆναί σε χρή : and κατά, 'against,' gives additional point to the expression. Essay on L. § 19. p. 27.

837-838. mvp-comment-395-1 The Chorus adduce another reason for taking comfort even if Orestes be no more. The gods have not forgotten Amphiaraus, and they will not forget Agamemnon. The sudden disappearance of the prophet during the flight of the Argive host from Thebes, would naturally make a strong impression upon the Argive people.

837. mvp-comment-396-1 ἄνακτ] Cp. Ο. Τ. 284, ἄνακτ᾿ ἄνακτι ταῦθ᾽ ὁρῶντ᾽ ἐπίσταμαι, κ.τ.λ.

838-839. mvp-comment-397-1 χρυσοδέτοις . . γυναικών] 'Lost to sight through female snares depending on a golden chain.' χρυσοδέτοις ἔρκεσι is a condensed expression (Essay on L. pp. 39, 81) in which ἕρκεσι suggests both the entangling influence of Eriphyle and the necklace given to her by Adrastus. (So Wecklein.) In this case ἕρκεσι denotes that the necklace was indirectly an instrument of Adrastus' cunning. But it may be questioned whether such a complex association is possible. Perhaps ἔρμασι should be read, in the general sense of a woman's ornament. Cp. Od. 18. 297, ἔρματα δ᾽ Εὐρυδάμαντι δύω θεράποντες ἔνεικαν | τρίγληνα μορόεντα· χάρις δ' ἀπελάμπετο πολλή. See L. and S. s. v. ἔρμα ΙΙΙ.

840. mvp-comment-398-1 Here Electra thinks of both her father and Orestes.

841. mvp-comment-399-1 πάμψυχος ἀνάσσει] ‘He wields authority with mighty spirit unimpaired.' The prophet Amphiaraus is imagined as, like the prophet Teiresias, retaining all his faculties in the under-world. (So Wecklein: 'Unter der Erde aber lebte er mit vollem Leben und Bewusztsein fort und offenbarte dies durch Orakel und Heilung von Kranken. Cic. de Div. 1. 40.') From this the Chorus argue that the spirit of Agamemnon too will yet make his power to be felt.

843. mvp-comment-400-1 φεῦ δῆτ᾽.. ὀλοὰ γάρ] The connection is difficult, and Wecklein reads μάν for γάρ. If γάρ is retained, the Chorus must be supposed to give a different turn to the interjection. Electra, thinking of her father, dwells on the sadness of Amphiaraus' death. The Choreutes, who interposes, reflects on the sadness of the whole story, including the death of Eriphyle by the hand of her son Alcmaeon (which Sophocles made the subject of a tragedy). 'Woe, indeed, you may cry! For the wretched (or baneful) woman-' Electra instantly perceives the drift, and quickly interrupts, in a tone of momentary triumph, -' Was overpowered!' Then, recollecting that he who should have done Alcmaeon's part for her is now no more, she relapses into despair.

846. mvp-comment-401-1 μελέτωρ ἀμφὶ τὸν ἐν πένθει] 'One to care for him who was then mourned for.' ἐν πένθει is here used passively, not as supr. 290. Cp. ἐν λόγοις.

848. mvp-comment-402-1 φροῦδος ἀναρπασθείς] Is snatched away from the earth.' See note on Aj. 1192, ὄφελεν αἰθέρα δῦναι μέγαν, and note.

849. mvp-comment-403-1 New misery finds thee in thy misery.'

850-852. mvp-comment-404-1 I know that all too well, taught by a weight of fearful horror, that month by month accumulates.' Time is conceived as drawing in his train an ever-increasing burden of pollution and grief. For δεινῶν . . ἀχέων, which is unmetrical, Hermann proposed δεινῶν στυγνῶν τ᾽ αἰῶνι,-Prof. Lushington has suggested δεινῶν* τε στυγνῶν τ' *ἄχθει, which is adopted in the text. Hermann's reading means, 'In a life which month by month accumulates horror and pollution.'

854-855. mvp-comment-405-1 μή . . παραγάγῃς] 'Draw me not aside,' as they had done for a moment by reminding her of the fate of Eriphyle.

855. mvp-comment-406-1 ἵν'] ‘In a state of things wherein- Cp. supr. 22, ἵν᾿ οὐκέτ᾽ ὀκνεῖν καιρός.

857-858. mvp-comment-407-1 (οὐ) πάρεισιν .. ἀρωγαί] 'There is no longer within call the aid of hopes that rest on common birth from a most noble sire.' The language is much condensed: i.e. ἀρωγαὶ ἐν ἐλπίδι γιγνόμεναι ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐπατρίδου καὶ κοινοτόκου, sc. Ὀρέστου. See Essay on L. § 43. p. 81.