Sophocles Electra 1411

ed. Lewis Campbell

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Current edition Experimental

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1384-1441 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1422 focus
Da sind sie wieder: roth vom Blute triest die Hand,
Von Ares' Opfer; aber tadeln kann ich's nicht. 1
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1384-1440 focus

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-780-1 ἐκ σέθεν 1

mvp-comment-780-2 ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ 2

mvp-comment-780-3 1413 f. The traditional reading φθίνει φθίνει 3 σε 4 σοι 5 μοῖρα καθαμερία 6 φθίνει 7

mvp-comment-780-4 Others explain as follows. (1) Keeping both σε 8 φθίνει φθίνει 9 σε 10 φθίνειν φθίνειν 11

mvp-comment-780-5 Nor is the objection to these interpretations merely verbal. They represent the Chorus as deploring that doom of the race which entails yet another deed of bloodshed. But, as Whitelaw well observes, this commits Sophocles to the Aeschylean view of the vengeance ‘as a new crime in the series of crimes’ (Translation, p. 437). The Chorus are in the fullest sympathy with the avengers. They regard the slaying of Clytaemnestra not as a new calamity, but as a welcome retribution: cp. 1434

τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι
, and 1508 ff. The words
ὦ πόλις, ὦ γενεὰ
express the feeling of these
πολίτιδες
(1227) that the cause of the house is that of the city. They hail the approaching deliverance of Mycenae from the tyrants. The change of
ὦ πόλις, ὦ γενεὰ
into
ὦ Πέλοπος γενεὰ
(cr. n.) is equally rash and infelicitous.

mvp-comment-780-6 1415 f. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1343

ΑΓ. ὤμοι, πέπληγμαι καιρίαν πληγὴν ἔσω
... 1345
ὤμοι μάλ’ αὖθις, δευτέραν πεπληγμένος.

mvp-comment-780-7 διπλῆν 12

mvp-comment-780-8 εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ γ’ ὁμοῦ 13

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

1398-1441. mvp-comment-660-1 The following passage (1398-1441), although consisting largely of senarii, appears to be antistrophic, nearly corresponding even in the division of the lines. According to this view ll. 1404-1406 are either (1) not to be counted in the strophe, or (2) lines answering to them after l. 1427 must be supposed to have been lost. As the lines in question relate to the sudden cry of Clytemnestra from within, the former supposition is sufficiently probable. Cp. note on O. C. 117 foll., vol. i. p. 298 (Ist column). In the 'strophe,' ll. 1398-1421, Clytemnestra is put to death, -in the 'antistrophe,' ll. 1422-41, the bleeding sword is displayed, and Aegisthus is descried. The young men then retire into the palace, and Electra waits outside.

1411-1412. mvp-comment-664-1 ἀλλ᾽.. οὗτος] Cp. supr. 296, 7,601.