Sophocles Electra 1505

mvp-comment-830-1 The imperf. χρῆν ¹ εἶναι ²

mvp-comment-830-2 εὐθὺς ³

mvp-comment-830-3 θέλει ⁴ θέλοι ⁵ τοῖς πᾶσιν … ὅστις ⁶

mvp-comment-830-4 πράσσειν γε ⁷

mvp-comment-830-5 κτείνειν ⁸

mvp-comment-830-6 τὸ πανοῦργον ⁹

mvp-comment-830-7 Nicephorus Vasilákes (

), a professor of rhetoric at Constantinople in the latter part of the twelfth century, places these three verses of Sophocles at the head of a short piece in his rhetorical ‘Exercises’ ( ), and makes them the text of a discourse evidently prompted by the evils of his own time. The verses remind us, he says, how well Sophocles understood the function of Tragedy as a , or vehicle of moral teaching. After setting forth in action the warning example of Aegisthus, the poet here , i.e., generalises the lesson. From a literary and aesthetic point of view the remark deserves the notice of those who, like Dindorf, think the verses spurious. If the speech of Orestes ended with v. 1504, the effect would manifestly be too abrupt.

1505-1507. mvp-comment-709-1 These lines appear commonplace to modern readers. But so do many other γνῶμαι in Greek tragedy. And Orestes' speech ends too abruptly if they are omitted.