Sophocles Electra 1253

mvp-comment-687-1 ὦ φθέγμ’ ¹

mvp-comment-687-2 μηκέτ’ ἄλλοθεν πύθῃ ²

mvp-comment-688-1 ἔχω … ἔχοις ἀεί ³

mvp-comment-689-1 πολίτιδες ⁴

mvp-comment-690-1 μηχαναῖσι ⁵

mvp-comment-690-2 σεσωσμένον ⁶

mvp-comment-691-1 συμφοραῖσι ⁷

mvp-comment-691-2 γεγηθὸς … δάκρυον ⁸

mvp-comment-692-1 A

between Electra and Orestes. Strophe, 1232—1352,=antistr. 1253—1272 (a verse being lost after 1264). Epode, 1273— 1287. For metres see Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-693-1 γοναὶ σωμάτων ⁹

mvp-comment-694-1 ἀρτίως ¹⁰

mvp-comment-694-2 οὓς ¹¹

mvp-comment-694-3 ἐχρήζετε ¹²

mvp-comment-695-1 σῖγ’ ἔχουσα ¹³

mvp-comment-696-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ μὰ ¹⁴

mvp-comment-696-2 τὴν ἄδμητον ¹⁵

mvp-comment-696-3 Ἄρτεμιν ¹⁶

mvp-comment-697-1 τόδε μὲν … ὂν ἀεί ¹⁷

mvp-comment-697-2 περισσὸν ἄχθος ¹⁸

mvp-comment-697-3 ἔνδον … ὂν ἀεί ¹⁹

1226. mvp-comment-586-1 ὡς . . ἔχοις] ‘As I would that you may have me evermore.’

1231. mvp-comment-587-1 γεγηθὸς .. δάκρυον] Essay on L. § 42. p. 8ο γ.

1232. mvp-comment-588-1 In the following passage Electra in her ecstasy utters lyric (chiefly dochmiac) strains, to which Orestes, who is trying to calm her, replies in senarii. The lyric metres may be arranged (though, as the text stands, not perfectly) in a scheme of strophe, antistrophe, and epode, as follows:—
στρ. (ll. 1232-1252).
- u - - - | - u - -
- u u - u - | - u - -
u - u - u - -
1 Senarius.
1 Senarius.
- u - u - | - u - -
u - u - | u - -
1 Senarius.
1 Senarius.
- u - u - | - u u | - u u | u - -
- u - - | u - - -
u - u - u - | u - u -
- u - -
2 Senarii.

ἀντ. (ll. 1253-1263).
- u - | u - -
u u - u - | u u - u - -
u - - u u -
1 Senarius.
1 Senarius.
u u - u - u u -
u - u - | u - u - u - -
2 Senarii.

ἐπ. (ll. 1273-1287).
u u - u - u - -
- - - u -
u u - | u u - | u u - | u u -
- u - | - u -
1 Senarius.
2 - - u u - -
2 Senarii.
^{1 2}

1232. mvp-comment-588-2 1 The correspondence of στρ. and ἀντ. here is doubtful.

1232. mvp-comment-588-3 2 In the Epode Orestes also for a moment becomes lyrical.

1232-1233. mvp-comment-589-1 γοναὶ .. φιλτάτων] 'Offspring of one most dear to me;' i.e. of Agamemnon. Poetical plural. E. on L. § 20. p. 30.

1234-1235. mvp-comment-590-1 For the aorists, see Essay on L. § 32. p. 55 , and for the feeling in οὓς ἐχρήζετε, cp. O. T. 1274, οὓς δ᾽ ἔχρῃζεν οὐ γνωσοίατο.

1236. mvp-comment-591-1 'We are here. Only abide the event in silence.' In πάρεσμεν Orestes probably includes Pylades, but not necessarily. Cp. the doubt in Trach. 390.

1239. mvp-comment-592-1 This line as in L, which is followed in the text, has an iambic rhythm which in so far corresponds to 1260. In a passage of so much wildness there may have been a special motive for using long syllables in the strophe where in the antistrophe the iambics are 'pure.' Wecklein reads in στρ., μὰ τὰν ᾿Αρτεμιν | τὰν ἀδμῆτ᾽ ἀεί, and in ἀντ., τίς οὖν ἀξίαν | σοῦ γε πεφηνότος?

1240-1242. mvp-comment-593-1 τόδε.. ἀεί] 'Never will I account as worthy of my fear this unprofitable burden of womankind that never stirs abroad.' Electra does not remember that she is a woman. She is one with Orestes, who is come to vindicate the man. She might say with Athena in the Eumenides 738, κάρτα δ᾽ εἰμὶ τοῦ πατρός. Orestes reminds her that Clytemnestra is not an enemy to be despised.