Sophocles Electra 660

mvp-comment-22-1 χρῇ ¹ τοιαῦθ’ ² ὧν ³

mvp-comment-22-2 ὁ Φοῖβος ⁴

mvp-comment-22-3 πεύσει ⁵

mvp-comment-22-4 This verse might seem the preface to some longer recital (cp. Ph. 1418 n.). But in fact it is merely an emphatic prelude to the oracle: τάχα ⁶

mvp-comment-23-1 αὐτὸν ⁷ ἀσπίδων ⁸

mvp-comment-23-2 ἀσπίδων τε καὶ στρατοῦ ⁹ δόλοισι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-23-3 χειρὸς ¹¹ σφαγάς ¹²

mvp-comment-23-4 κλέψαι ¹³

mvp-comment-24-1 ὅτε ¹⁴

mvp-comment-24-2 σὺ μὲν μολὼν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-24-3 καιρὸς ¹⁶

mvp-comment-24-4 ἴσθι ¹⁷

mvp-comment-25-1 γήρᾳ ¹⁸ χρόνῳ μακρῷ ¹⁹

mvp-comment-25-2 οὐδ’ ὑποπτεύσουσιν ²⁰ οὐ μὴ γνῶσι ²¹

mvp-comment-25-3 ὧδ’ ἠνθισμένον ²²

mvp-comment-26-1 Φωκεύς ²³

mvp-comment-26-2

, thus prefixed to a proper name, serves either: ( a) to introduce a person not previously men tioned,—being more respectful than , as Il. 11. 92 , Her. 8. 82 : or ( b) adds something of solemnity or pathos to the mention of a familiar name, as Soph. O. C. 109 , Soph. Ai. 817 .

mvp-comment-26-3 Phanoteus was the eponymous hero of the town Phanoteus ( Thuc. 4. 89 ), or Panopeus ( Il. 2. 520 etc., Paus. , Strabo), in Phocis, close to the Boeotian frontier, —about three miles west of Chaeroneia, and as many east of Daulis. He was the brother of Crisus, from whom the town of Crisa in Phocis (about two miles w. s. w. of Delphi) took its name. Between these brothers, said the legend, there was a deadly feud; before birth they had struggled in the womb (Tzetzes, Lycophr. 939: cp. Preller, Griechische Mythologie, 2. p. 54 n. 5). Now Crisus was the father of Strophius, that king of Crisa who was the ally of Agamemnon, and with whom the young Orestes found a home. Hence Phanoteus, the foe of Crisus, is represented as the friend of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra. He is the first to send them the glad tidings that Orestes is dead. On the other hand it is Strophius who is described as paying the last honours to the corpse, and sending the ashes to Mycenae (1111).

mvp-comment-26-4 ὁ γὰρ ²⁴

mvp-comment-27-1 μέγιστος ²⁵

mvp-comment-27-2 τυγχάνει ²⁶

mvp-comment-27-3 δορυξένων ²⁷

mvp-comment-28-1 ὅρκον ²⁸ ὅρκῳ ²⁹

mvp-comment-28-2 On the other hand, the phrase

has the authority of Sophocles himself: fr. 431 | . Cp. too Tr. 255 .

mvp-comment-28-3 The false oath would be regarded as excused by the

which Apollo had prescribed (v. 37); but in fact the Paedagogus takes no such oath.

mvp-comment-29-1 ἀναγκαίας τύχης ³⁰

mvp-comment-29-2 ἄθλοισι ³¹ Πυθικοῖσιν ³²

mvp-comment-29-3 τροχηλάτων ³³

mvp-comment-29-4 ἑστάτω ³⁴

mvp-comment-30-1 ἐφίετο ³⁵

mvp-comment-30-2 λοιβαῖσι ³⁶

mvp-comment-30-3 καρατόμοις χλιδαῖς ³⁷

mvp-comment-30-4 στέψαντες ³⁸

mvp-comment-30-5 ἄψορρον … πάλιν ³⁹

mvp-comment-31-1 τύπωμα ⁴⁰ χαλκόπλευρον ⁴¹

mvp-comment-31-2 ἠρμένοι ⁴²

mvp-comment-31-3 Others take

as middle. This use of is not unknown to later Greek; e.g. Strabo 3. p. 150 has = . But there is no example of it in the classical period.

mvp-comment-32-1 Join που ⁴³ καὶ σὺ ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-32-2 The v.l. μοι ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-33-1 λόγῳ κλέπτοντες ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-33-2 φέρωμεν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-33-3 ἔρρει ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-33-4 δέμας ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-34-1 τί γάρ με λυπεῖ ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-34-2 ἔργοισι ⁵¹

mvp-comment-34-3 κἀξενέγκωμαι ⁵²

mvp-comment-35-1 δοκῶ μέν ⁵³ σὺν κέρδει ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-35-2 κακόν ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-36-1 πολλάκις ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-36-2 λόγῳ μάτην θνῄσκοντας ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-36-3 ἐκτετίμηνται ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-37-1 ὡς ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-37-2 κἄμ’ ἐπαυχῶ ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-37-3 ἄπο ⁶¹

mvp-comment-37-4 δεδορκότ’ ⁶²

mvp-comment-37-5 ἐχθροῖς ⁶³ λάμψειν ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-37-6 ἄστρον ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-37-7 ἔτι ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-38-1 πατρῴα γῆ ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-38-2 εὐτυχοῦντα ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-38-3 ὁδοῖς ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-39-1 καθαρτής ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-39-2 πρὸς θεῶν ὡρμημένος ⁷¹

mvp-comment-40-1 ἀλλ’ ἀρχέπλουτον ⁷²

mvp-comment-40-2 ἀρχέπλουτον ⁷³

mvp-comment-40-3 καταστάτην ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-41-1 εἴρηκα μέν νυν ταῦτα ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-41-2 μελέσθω ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-42-1 ἐπιστάτης ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-43-1 ἰώ μοί μοι δύστηνος ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-44-1 καὶ μὴν ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-44-2 θυρῶν ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-44-3 I should agree with the schol. in governing

by ἔνδον ⁸¹

mvp-comment-44-4 προσπόλων τινὸς ⁸²

mvp-comment-45-1 θέλεις | μείνωμεν … ; ⁸³

mvp-comment-45-2 The reading of the MSS., κἀνακούσωμεν ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-45-3 On the other hand Sophocles has

, ‘to listen,’ in O. T. 708 , O. T. 794 : O. C. 694 : Ph. 1417. Nauck's correction, κἀπακούσωμεν ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-46-1 μηδὲν πρόσθεν ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-46-2 τὰ Λοξίου ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-46-3 ἀρχηγετεῖν ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-47-1 πατρὸς ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-47-2 λουτρά ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-47-3 φέρει … ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ⁹¹

mvp-comment-47-4 νίκην ⁹² κράτος τῶν δρωμένων ⁹³

mvp-comment-47-5 All three actors now leave the scene. Orestes and Pylades go to Agamemnon's grave,—departing, probably, by the entrance on the spectators' right. The Paedagogus leaves by the entrance on the left,—to await the moment for seeking admission to the house (v. 660).—It might, indeed, be inferred from

(83) that the old man goes with the youths to their task; but the word need not imply more than his participation in the plan. while verses 73—75 seem clearly to indicate that he separates from his companions. When they have gone, Electra enters from the house.

mvp-comment-48-1 A

, or lyric lament delivered by an actor alone. as dist. from the joint of actor and Chorus (121 n.).

mvp-comment-48-2 Verses 86—102 form a

,=vv. 103—120 ( ). If the text is sound, the correspondence is not exact, since the dimeter in v. 99 answers to a monometer in v. 116. These anapaests are, however, of the type usually known as ‘free’ or ‘melic,’ as having more of a lyric character than the regular anapaests of the marching-songs (like those of the Parodos in the Ajax): see W. Christ, Metrik, 2nd ed., § 288. And in such anapaests the symmetry of ‘systems’ is often not strict (cp. O. C. 117 n.).

mvp-comment-48-3 ὦ φάος ἁγνὸν ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-48-4 γῆς ἰσόμοιρ’ ἀήρ ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-48-5 ἰσόμοιῤ ⁹⁶ ἰσόμοιρος ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-49-1 πολλὰς μὲν … ᾔσθου ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-49-2 ἀντήρεις ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-50-1 πληγὰς ¹⁰⁰ πλαγὰς ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-51-1 ὑπολειφθῇ ¹⁰² ᾔσθου ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-52-1 τὰ … παννυχίδων ¹⁰⁴ ξυνίσας’ ¹⁰⁵ ὅσα … θρηνῶ ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-52-2 ἤδη ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-52-3 The MS. οἴκων ¹⁰⁸ λέκτρων ¹⁰⁹ μογερῶν ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-53-1 ὅσα τὸν δύστηνον ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-54-1 κατὰ μὲν βάρβαρον αἶαν ¹¹² ἐξένισεν ¹¹³

mvp-comment-55-1 Ἄρης ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-55-2 ἐξένισεν ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-56-1 κοινολεχὴς ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-57-1 ὅπως δρῦν ὑλοτόμοι ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-57-2 σχίζουσι ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-57-3 κάρα ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-57-4 πέλεκει ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-58-1 ἄλλης ¹²¹

mvp-comment-58-2 φέρεται ¹²²

mvp-comment-58-3 The deletion of the words ἀπ’ ἄλλης ¹²³ ἢ )μοῦ ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-59-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ μὲν δὴ ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-60-1 ἄστρων ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-60-2 Others read,

| , omitting . But , without , would not suffice to denote starlight. If, again, the phrase is taken to denote the sun's rays (as Monk proposes, Mus. Crit. I. p. 67), then becomes weak. Further, the preceding context, in which she has spoken of her laments at night (92) and at morning, clearly suggests that the sense here is, ‘so long as I look on the stars or on the sun.’

mvp-comment-61-1 μὴ οὐ ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-61-2 τεκνολέτειῤ ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-62-1 ἐπὶ κωκυτῷ ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-62-2 ἠχὼ ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-63-1 Electra invokes, (1) the house of Hades and his bride Persephone, in which the spirit of Agamemnon now dwells; (2) Hermes, who, as

, conducted him thither,—and who will also guide the avengers on their way (1395 f.); (3) , the imprecation uttered by the victim upon his murderers,—the personified curse, here conceived as a supernatural power ( ), which calls the Erinyes into action; and (4) the Erinyes themselves.

mvp-comment-63-2 Ἀΐδου ¹³¹

mvp-comment-64-1 ὦ χθόνἰ Ἑρμῆ ¹³²

mvp-comment-64-2 Ἀρά ¹³³

mvp-comment-64-3 πότνια ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-65-1 σεμναὶ ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-65-2 θεῶν παῖδες ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-66-1 ὁρᾶθ’ ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-67-1 αἳ τοὺς εὐνὰς ὑποκλεπτομένους ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-67-2 These much-impugned words appear genuine. The murder has been prompted by the guilty love:

(197). In Electra's thought, they are inseparable. The allusion to the love follows the reference to the murder, because she regards it as the crowning outrage (271 ) that Clytaemnestra still lives with Aegisthus. Bloodshed was not the only sin which the Erinyes punished. They were the embodied sanctions of natural law, and every crime against the family came within their cognisance. (See Introd. to Homer, p. 51, § 13.) Indeed, Electra herself speaks of the unhallowed union as a special provocation to those Avengers: 275 f. | .

mvp-comment-68-1 τείσασθε ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-69-1 ἡμετέρου ¹⁴⁰ μοι ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-69-2 καί μοι ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-70-1 ἄγειν ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-70-2 σωκῶ ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-71-1 δυστανοτάτας ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-72-1 τάκεις … οἰμωγὰν ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-72-2 ἀκόρεστον ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-72-3 τὸν πάλαι ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-72-4 πάλαι ¹⁴⁹ ἐκ ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-72-5 ἀθεώτατα ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-72-6 κακᾷ … χειρὶ πρόδοτον ¹⁵² χειρὶ ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-72-7 ὡς ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-72-8 ὁ τάδε πορὼν ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-72-9 εἴ μοι θέμις ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-73-1 γενέθλα ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-73-2 γενναίων ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-73-3 παραμύθ‐ ¹⁵⁹ ιον ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-74-1 ξυνίημι ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-74-2 τάδ’ ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-75-1 φυγγάνει ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-75-2 οὐδ’ ἐθέλω ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-76-1 μὴ οὐ ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-76-2 τὸν ἐμὸν … πατέρ’ ἄθλιον ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-77-1 παντοίας ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-77-2 Electra's lyrics contain some Doricisms (129, 146 f., etc.): but it is best to retain

, with the MSS. The form in was so familiar through Homer that it may have been preferred to even in lyrics. Cp. 236 .

mvp-comment-78-1 ἀλύειν ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-79-1 αἰαῖ, ἱκνοῦμαι ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-80-1 τόν γ’ ἐξ Ἀΐδα … λίμνας ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-80-2 παγκοίνου ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-80-3 ἀνστάσεις ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-81-1 οὔτε †γόοις οὔτε λιταῖσιν ¹⁷³ οὔτε γόοισιν οὔτ’ εὐχαῖς ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-82-1 For the repetition of ἀλλά ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-82-2 ἀπὸ τῶν μετρίων ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-82-3 ἀμήχανον ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-82-4 ο=ιόλλυσαι ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-83-1 ἐν οἷς ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-83-2 ἀνάλυσις … κακῶν ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-83-3 τί μοι ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-84-1 νήπιος ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-84-2 γονέων ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-85-1 ἐμέ γ’ … ἄραρεν ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-85-2 φρένας ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-86-1 αἰὲν Ἴτυν ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-87-1 ὄρνις ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-87-2 ἀτυζομένα ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-87-3 Διὸς ἄγγελος ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-88-1 Νιόβα, σὲ δ’ ¹⁹⁰ θεόν ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-88-2 ἅτ’ ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-88-3 ἐν τάφῳ πετραίῳ ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-89-1 αἰεὶ ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-90-1 οὔτοι σοὶ μούνᾳ ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-91-1 πρὸς ὅ τι ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-91-2 τῶν ἔνδον εἶ περισσά ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-92-1 οἷς ¹⁹⁸ τῶν ἔνδον ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-92-2 ὁμόθεν ²⁰⁰ γονᾷ ξύναιμος ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-93-1 οἵα Χρ. ζώει ²⁰²

mvp-comment-93-2 Acc. to the version followed by Sophocles, Agamemnon had four daughters, Iphigeneia, Electra, Chrysothemis, Iphianassa. This was the account given in the cyclic

, as the schol. here mentions; a poem of which there is another trace in this play (566 ff.). Sophocles wrote an ( Nauck, frag. Soph. 284—292 ); but her name is not mentioned in the reference to her death below (530—594). In Il. 9. 145 Agamemnon has three daughters, Chrysothemis, Laodicè, Iphianassa: Homer does not mention Iphigeneia. Lucretius gives the name of Iphianassa to the victim at Aulis ( 1. 85 ).

mvp-comment-93-3 ζώει ²⁰³

mvp-comment-93-4 καὶ Ἰφιάνασσα ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-94-1 ἀχέων ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-94-2 Hermann, taking ἀχέων ²⁰⁶ κρυπτᾷ ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-95-1 ὄλβιος, ὃν ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-95-2 For the simple

, instead of or , with causal force, cp. below, 188, 261, 959; O.T. 817.

mvp-comment-96-1 δέξεται εὐπατρίδαν ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-96-2 Διὸς εὔφρονι ²¹⁰ βήματι ²¹¹

mvp-comment-96-3 γᾶν ²¹² γᾶ ²¹³

mvp-comment-96-4 Ὀρέσταν ²¹⁴ ὃν ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-97-1 ἀκάματα ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-97-2 ἀνύμφευτος ²¹⁷ ἄτεκνος ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-97-3 οἰχνῶ ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-98-1 δάκρυσι μυδαλέα ²²⁰

mvp-comment-98-2 τὸν ἀνήνυτον ²²¹

mvp-comment-98-3 οἶτον ἔχουσα ²²²

mvp-comment-99-1 ὧν τ’ ἔπαθ’ ²²³ ὧν τ’ ἐδάη ²²⁴

mvp-comment-99-2 Wecklein, reading

, explains,— ‘what I have heard from him,’—viz., his promises of coming.

mvp-comment-99-3 τί γὰρ … ἀγγελίας ²²⁵

mvp-comment-99-4 ἀπατώμενον ²²⁶ τί … οὐκ ²²⁷

mvp-comment-99-5 Herwerden's οὐχί μοι ²²⁸ οὐκ ἐμοί ²²⁹ ὁ δέ ²³⁰

mvp-comment-100-1 ποθεῖ, ποθῶν δ’ ²³¹

mvp-comment-101-1 ἔτι μέγας οὐρανῷ ²³² ἐν ²³³

mvp-comment-102-1 τὸν ὑπεραλγῆ ²³⁴

mvp-comment-102-2 νέμουσα ²³⁵

mvp-comment-103-1 μήτε ὑπεράχθεο ²³⁶ οἷς ²³⁷

mvp-comment-104-1 εὐμαρὴς θεός ²³⁸ θεός ²³⁹

mvp-comment-105-1 οὔτε γὰρ ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-105-2 Κρῖσαν ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-105-3 Crisa stood about two miles W.S.W. of Delphi, on a spur of Parnassus, at the lower outlet of the gorge through which the river Pleistus issues into the plain. The Iliad mentions ‘sacred Crisa’ (

, 2. 520). But the Homeric Hymn to the Pythian Apollo is the best witness to its ancient power. There, just as here, the name includes the land which stretches southward from the town to its harbour on the ‘wide gulf’ (vv. 253— 261). We need not, then, read or . Crisa was the earliest seat of trade on the western sea; Delphi, when first founded, was merely a sanctuary in its territory. Pindar recalls the old prominence of its name when he describes a Pythian victory as won ( P. 6. 18).

mvp-comment-105-4 Cirrha, a town of much later date, was the port of Crisa on the gulf. About 585 B.C., the Delphians, aided by Cleisthenes of Sicyon and his allies, succeeded, after a long struggle, in humbling Crisa and destroying Cirrha. The Crisaean plain was then devoted to Apollo, whose domain was thus extended from his temple to the coast. When Sophocles wrote, that ground was still a

, inviolable by plough or spade. It was not till the middle of the next century that the alleged encroachments of Amphissa on the gave a pretext for war to the Amphictyons (355 B.C.).

mvp-comment-105-5 Ulrichs ( Reisen in Griechenland) was the first to place the relations of Crisa and Cirrha in a clear light. Strabo correctly describes the site of Cirrha, but erroneously places Crisa to the east of it (9. p. 418).

mvp-comment-106-1 βούνομον ²⁴² βουνόμον ²⁴³

mvp-comment-106-2 βούνομον ἀκτὰν ²⁴⁴ Κρῖσαν ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-107-1 ἀπερίτροπος ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-108-1 παρὰ τὸν Ἀχέροντα ²⁴⁷ ἀνάσσων ²⁴⁸ θεὸς ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-109-1 μὲν ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-109-2 ὁ πολὺς … βίοτος ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-109-3 ἀνέλπιστος ²⁵²

mvp-comment-109-4 187 *

. I am now satisfied that this is a true correction of τοκέων ²⁵³ ἅτις ²⁵⁴ τοκέων ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-110-1 ἁπερεί ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-110-2 ἔποικος ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-111-1 οἰκονομῶ θαλάμους ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-112-1 ἀεικεῖ σὺν στολᾷ ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-113-1 κεναῖς δ’ ἀμφίσταμαι τραπέζαις ²⁶⁰ ἀμφίσταμαι ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-113-2 Hartung, reading

, takes the sense to be that she stands ‘hungry’ by the tables at which the others feast. But as= would be neither usual nor elegant.

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 ²⁶² κοίταις ²⁶³ οἰκτρὰ … αὐδὰ ²⁶⁴

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 ²⁶⁵ ἐν ²⁶⁶

mvp-comment-114-6 κοίταις ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-114-7 ὅτε οἱ ²⁶⁸ σοι ²⁶⁹ ἀνταία ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-114-8 γενύων ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-115-1 δόλος … ἔρος ²⁷²

mvp-comment-116-1 δεινὰν δεινῶς ²⁷³ δεινὰν … μορφάν ²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-116-2 εἴτ’ οὖν … εἴτε ²⁷⁵ βροτῶν ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-117-1 πλέον … ἐχθίστα ²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-117-2 δὴ ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-118-1 νὺξ ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-118-2 δείπνων ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-119-1 ἄχθη ²⁸¹ τοῖς ²⁸² θανάτους ²⁸³

mvp-comment-119-2 διδύμαιν χειροῖν ²⁸⁴ διδύμοιν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-120-1 εἷλον … πρόδοτον ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-121-1 οἷς ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-121-2 Ὀλύμπιος ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-122-1 ποίνιμα ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-123-1 ἀγλαΐας ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-123-2 ἀποναίατο ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-124-1 πόρσω ²⁹²

mvp-comment-125-1 γνώμαν ἴσχεις ²⁹³

mvp-comment-125-2 ἐξ οἵων ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-125-3 τὰ παρόντ’ ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-125-4 οἰκείας ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-126-1 πολύ … τι κακῶν ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-126-2 ὑπερεκτήσω ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-127-1 τὰ δὲ ²⁹⁹ οὐκ ἐριστὰ τοῖς δυνατοῖς ³⁰⁰ πλάθειν ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-127-2 ἐριστά ³⁰²

mvp-comment-127-3 πλάθειν ³⁰³

mvp-comment-128-1 δεινοῖς ἠναγκάσθην ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-129-1 ὀργά ³⁰⁵ ἔξοιδ’ ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-130-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-130-2 ἐν … δεινοῖς ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-130-3 σχήσω ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-130-4 ταύτας ἄτας ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-131-1 ὄφρα ³¹¹

mvp-comment-131-2 βίος ἔχῃ με ³¹² σχήσω ³¹³

mvp-comment-132-1 τίνι γάρ … τίνι φρονοῦντι καίρια ³¹⁴ ἀκούσαιμ’ ἂν πρόσφορον ἔπος ³¹⁵ τίνι ³¹⁶ πρόσφορον ³¹⁷

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 ³¹⁸

mvp-comment-133-2 ἄλυτα ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-133-3 κεκλήσεται ³²⁰

mvp-comment-133-4 231 f. For ἐκ ³²¹

mvp-comment-133-5 ἀνάριθμος ³²² θρήνων ³²³

mvp-comment-134-1 ἀλλ’ οὖν ³²⁴ γε ³²⁵ εὐνοίᾳ ³²⁶

mvp-comment-135-1 μάτηρ ὡσεί τις ³²⁷

mvp-comment-136-1 μὴ τίκτειν ³²⁸

mvp-comment-136-2 ἄταν ἄταις ³²⁹

mvp-comment-137-1 καὶ τί μέτρον ³³⁰ κακότατος ³³¹

mvp-comment-137-2 φέρε ³³²

mvp-comment-137-3 ἐπὶ τοῖς φθ. ³³³

mvp-comment-138-1 ἔβλαστ’ ³³⁴

mvp-comment-139-1 τούτοις ³³⁵

mvp-comment-140-1 εἴ τῳ πρόσκειμαι χρηστῷ ³³⁶

mvp-comment-141-1 ξυνναίοιμ’ ³³⁷

mvp-comment-141-2 εὔκηλος ³³⁸

mvp-comment-141-3 γονέων ³³⁹ ἐκτίμους ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-141-4 ἐκτίμους ἵσχουσα ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-141-5 πτέρυγας … γόων ³⁴²

mvp-comment-141-6 ὀξυτόνων ³⁴³

mvp-comment-142-1 εἰ γὰρ ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-142-2 γᾶ ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-142-3 οὐδὲν ³⁴⁶ ὢν ³⁴⁷ εἰ ³⁴⁸

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 ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-142-6 ἀντιφόνους δίκας ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-143-1 ἔρροι τ’ ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-143-2 αἰδὼς ³⁵² εὐσέβεια ³⁵³

mvp-comment-144-1 ἐγὼ μὲν ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-144-2 καὶ ³⁵⁵ τὸ σὸν … καὶ τοὐμὸν ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-145-1 νίκα ³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-145-2 ἅμα ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-146-1 πολλοῖσι θρήνοις ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-147-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-148-1 ἥτις εὐγενὴς γυνή ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-149-1 πατρῷα … πήματα ³⁶²

mvp-comment-150-1 κατ’ εὐφρόνην ³⁶³

mvp-comment-150-2 θάλλοντα ³⁶⁴

mvp-comment-151-1 ᾗ ³⁶⁵

mvp-comment-151-2 πρῶτα μὲν … εἶτα … ἔπειτα ³⁶⁶ ᾗ ³⁶⁷

mvp-comment-151-3 τὰ μητρὸς ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-151-4 ἔχθιστα συμβέβηκεν ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-152-1 κἀκ τῶνδ’ ἄρχομαι ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-153-1 λαβεῖν … τὸ τητᾶσθαι ³⁷¹

mvp-comment-154-1 ποίας ³⁷² δοκεῖς ³⁷³

mvp-comment-155-1 ἴδω ³⁷⁴ εἰσίδω δ’ ³⁷⁵ ἴδω δὲ ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-155-2 μὲν ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-156-1 ἐσθήματα ³⁷⁸

mvp-comment-156-2 ἐκείνῳ ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-156-3 παρεστίους … λοιβάς ³⁸⁰ ἔνθ’ ἐκεῖνον ὤλεσεν ³⁸¹

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 ³⁸²

mvp-comment-158-1 αὐτοέντην ³⁸³

mvp-comment-158-2 Brunck first adopted αὐτοέντην ³⁸⁴ αὐτοφόντην ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-158-3 ἡμὶν ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-159-1 ταλαίνῃ ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-160-1 ταύτην … τῷδε ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-161-1 μιάστορι ³⁸⁹ Ἐρινὺν ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐγγελῶσα τοῖς ποιουμένοις ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-163-1 εὑροῦς’ ³⁹² τότε ³⁹³

mvp-comment-163-2 The conjecture φρουροῦς’ ³⁹⁴ τηροῦς’ ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-164-1 χοροὺς ἵστησι ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-164-2 μηλοσφαγεῖ … ἱερὰ ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-164-3 ἔμμην’ ἱερά ³⁹⁸

mvp-comment-164-4 τοῖς σωτηρίοις ³⁹⁹

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 ⁴⁰⁰ κατὰ στέγας ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-166-1 τέτηκα ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-166-2 πατρὸς ⁴⁰³

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 ⁴⁰⁴ αὑτήν ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-167-2 κλαῦσαι ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-167-3 ἡδονὴν φέρει ⁴⁰⁷

mvp-comment-168-1 ἡ λόγοισι γενναία ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-169-1 φωνοῦσα ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-170-1 δύσθεον ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-170-2 μίσημα ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-170-3 σοὶ μόνῃ ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-170-4 τέθνηκεν ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-170-5 ἐν πένθει ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-171-1 ἐκ γόων ⁴¹⁵

mvp-comment-171-2 οἱ κάτω θεοί ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-172-1 τάδ’ ⁴¹⁷

mvp-comment-172-2 ἥξοντ’ Ὀρέστην ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-173-1 παραστᾶς’ ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-174-1 ἥτις ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-174-2 ὑπεξέθου ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-175-1 ἀλλ’ ἴσθι τοι τείσουσά γ’ ⁴²²

mvp-comment-176-1 ὑλακτεῖ ⁴²³

mvp-comment-176-2 σὺν ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-176-3 πέλας ⁴²⁵ παρών ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-176-4 301 The adv. πάντα ⁴²⁷

mvp-comment-176-5 ἄναλκις ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-176-6 ἡ πᾶσα βλάβη ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-177-1 σὺν γυναιξὶ ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-177-2 τὰς μάχας ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-178-1 ἐφήξειν ⁴³²

mvp-comment-179-1 μέλλων … δρᾶν τι ⁴³³

mvp-comment-179-2 τὰς οὔσας τε … καὶ τὰς ἀπούσας ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-179-3 μου ⁴³⁵ μοι ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-179-4 διέφθορεν ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-180-1 σωφρονεῖν ⁴³⁸ εὐσεβεῖν ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-180-2 ἔν τοι κακοῖς ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-180-3 πολλή )στ’ ἀνάγκη ⁴⁴¹ κἀπιτηδεύειν κακά ⁴⁴²

mvp-comment-180-4 I place only a comma, not a colon, after πάρεστιν ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-181-1 ὄντος … βεβῶτος ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-182-1 ἦ κάρτα ⁴⁴⁵

mvp-comment-182-2 θυραῖον ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-182-3 οἰχνεῖν ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-182-4 ἀγροῖσι ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-182-5 τυγχάνει ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-183-1 ἦ κἂν … ἱκοίμην ⁴⁵⁰ ἦ τ<*>ν ⁴⁵¹ ἦ δἂν ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-183-2 ἐς λόγους τοὺς σοὺς ἱκοίμην ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-184-1 ὡς νῦν ⁴⁵⁴ ὥς νυν ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-184-2 ἱστόρει· τί σοι φίλον ⁴⁵⁶ τό ⁴⁵⁷ τά ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-184-3 With the other punctuation, ἱστόρει τί σοι φίλον ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-185-1 καὶ δὴ ⁴⁶⁰

mvp-comment-185-2 τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-185-3 ἥξοντος ⁴⁶² ἢ μέλλοντος ⁴⁶³

mvp-comment-186-1 φησίν γε ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-186-2 ποεῖ ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-187-1 καὶ μὴν ἔγωγ’ ⁴⁶⁶ γε ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-187-2 οὐκ ὄκνῳ ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-188-1 ἀρκεῖν ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-189-1 ἐπεί ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-189-2 μακρὰν ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-189-3 324 Here, as in 316, νῦν ⁴⁷² νυν ⁴⁷³

mvp-comment-189-4 δόμων ⁴⁷⁴ φέρουσαν ⁴⁷⁵

mvp-comment-190-1 ὅμαιμον ⁴⁷⁶

mvp-comment-190-2 φύσιν ⁴⁷⁷

mvp-comment-191-1 Χρυσόθεμιν ⁴⁷⁸

mvp-comment-192-1 οἷα ⁴⁷⁹ νομίζεται ⁴⁸⁰

mvp-comment-193-1 πρὸς θυρῶνος ἐξόδοις ⁴⁸¹ φωνεῖς ⁴⁸² ἐλθοῦσα ⁴⁸³ αὖ ⁴⁸⁴

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

mvp-comment-194-1 θυμῷ … χαρίζεσθαι ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-195-1 καίτοι τοσοῦτόν γ’ οἶδα ⁴⁸⁶

mvp-comment-195-2 κἀμαυτήν, ὅτι ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-195-3 333 f. For the repeated ἄν ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-195-4 οἶ) αὐτοῖς φρονῶ ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-196-1 ὑφειμένῃ ⁴⁹⁰ πλεῖν ⁴⁹¹

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 ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-198-1 τοιαῦτα δ’ ἄλλα ⁴⁹³ ἀλλὰ ⁴⁹⁴ ἄλλα ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-199-1 καίτοι τὸ μὲν δίκαιον ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-199-2 κρίνεις ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-199-3 εἰ … με δεῖ ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-199-4 ἐλευθέραν ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-199-5 ζῆν ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-199-6 πάντ’ ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-199-7 ἀκουστέα ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-200-1 δεινόν γε ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-201-1 τῆς … τικτούσης ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-201-2 μέλειν ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-202-1 τἀμὰ νουθετήματα ⁵⁰⁶

mvp-comment-202-2 κείνης διδακτά ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-202-3 ἐκ σαυτῆς ⁵⁰⁸

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’ ⁵⁰⁹

mvp-comment-203-4 ἑλοῦ γε ⁵¹⁰

mvp-comment-203-5 φρονεῖν κακῶς ⁵¹¹

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 ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-205-1 ἥτις ⁵¹³ φρονοῦσα ⁵¹⁴ μῖσος ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-206-1 πάντα ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-206-2 τιμωρουμένης ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-207-1 οὔτε … τε ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-207-2 τήν τε δρῶσαν ⁵¹⁹

mvp-comment-208-1 πρὸς κακοῖσι ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-208-2 δειλίαν ἔχει ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-209-1 ἐπεὶ ⁵²²

mvp-comment-209-2 ἢ μάθ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ ⁵²³

mvp-comment-210-1 ἐπαρκούντως ⁵²⁴

mvp-comment-211-1 προσάπτειν ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-211-2 εἴ τις ἔστ’ ἐκεῖ χάρις ⁵²⁶

mvp-comment-212-1 ἡμὶν ⁵²⁷ ξύνει ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-213-1 τὰ σὰ … δῶῤ ⁵²⁹

mvp-comment-213-2 ἐφ’ οἶσι ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-213-3 χλιδᾷς ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-214-1 ὑπεικάθοιμι ⁵³²

mvp-comment-214-2 πλουσία ⁵³³

mvp-comment-214-3 περιρρείτω ⁵³⁴

mvp-comment-215-1 τοὐμὲ μὴ λυπεῖν ⁵³⁵

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 ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-217-1 παῖδα ⁵³⁷

mvp-comment-217-2 κεκλῆσθαι ⁵³⁸

mvp-comment-218-1 πλείστοις ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-219-1 μηδὲν ⁵⁴⁰ πρὸς ὀργὴν ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-220-1 ἀμφοῖν ⁵⁴² τοῖς λόγοις ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-221-1 τῆσδε … αὕτη ⁵⁴⁴ πάλιν ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-222-1 ἐγὼ μὲν ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-222-2 πως ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-222-3 μύθων ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-223-1 οὐδ’ ⁵⁴⁹ κοὐδ’ ⁵⁵⁰ ποτέ ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-224-1 ἰὸν ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-224-2 σχήσει ⁵⁵³

mvp-comment-225-1 τὸ δεινὸν ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-225-2 εἰ γὰρ τῶνδέ μοι ⁵⁵⁵ εἰ ⁵⁵⁶

mvp-comment-226-1 γὰρ ⁵⁵⁷

mvp-comment-226-2 γόων ⁵⁵⁸ λόγων ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-227-1 ἐνταῦθα ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-227-2 ἔνθα μή ποτε … προσόψει ⁵⁶¹

mvp-comment-227-3 ζῶσα ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-227-4 κατηρεφεῖ ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-227-5 χθονὸς τῆσδ’ ἐκτὸς ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-227-6 ὑμνήσεις ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-228-1 πρὸς ταῦτα ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-228-2 Nauck reads κοὔ ⁵⁶⁷ καί ⁵⁶⁸

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 ⁵⁶⁹ ἦ … δὴ ⁵⁷⁰ ἦ … γὰρ ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-229-2 καὶ βεβούλευνται ⁵⁷²

mvp-comment-230-1 ἀλλ’ ἐξίκοιτο ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-230-2 τοῦδέ γ’ οὕνεκ’ ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-231-1 τίνα … τόνδ’ ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-231-2 τάλαινα ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-232-1 εἴ τι τῶνδε ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-233-1 ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ φρενῶν ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-234-1 ὅπως ⁵⁷⁹ ὑμῶν ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-234-2 προσώτατ’ ⁵⁸¹ προσωτάτω φύγω ⁵⁸²

mvp-comment-235-1 βίου … τοῦ παρόντος ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-236-1 καλὸς γὰρ ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-236-2 θαυμάσαι ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-237-1 τοῖς φίλοις ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-238-1 εἰκαθεῖν ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-239-1 ταῦτα ⁵⁸⁸ οὐκ ἐμοὺς ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-240-1 γε ⁵⁹⁰ μέντοι ⁵⁹¹

mvp-comment-240-2 μὴ )ξ ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-240-3 πεσεῖν ⁵⁹³

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

.

mvp-comment-241-1 συγγνώμην ⁵⁹⁴

mvp-comment-242-1 τἄπη ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-242-2 πρὸς κακῶν ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-243-1 μή πω ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-244-1 οἷπερ … ὁδοῦ ⁵⁹⁸

mvp-comment-245-1 τῷ φέρεις ⁵⁹⁹

mvp-comment-245-2 ἔμπυρα ⁶⁰⁰

mvp-comment-246-1 τυμβεῦσαι χοάς ⁶⁰¹

mvp-comment-247-1 βροτῶν ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-248-1 ὃν ἔκταν’ αὐτή ⁶⁰³ ὅν γ’ ⁶⁰⁴

mvp-comment-249-1 τῷ τοῦτ’ ἤρεσεν ⁶⁰⁵

mvp-comment-250-1 δείματος ⁶⁰⁶

mvp-comment-250-2 δοκεῖν ἐμοί ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-251-1 θεοὶ πατρῷοι ⁶⁰⁸

mvp-comment-251-2 συγγένεσθέ γ’ ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-251-3 ἀλλὰ νῦν ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-252-1 εἴποιμ’ ἂν τότε ⁶¹¹

mvp-comment-253-1 ἐπὶ σμικρὸν ⁶¹² ἐπὶ σμικρῶν ⁶¹³

mvp-comment-253-2 φράσαι ⁶¹⁴

mvp-comment-254-1 σμικροὶ λόγοι ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-255-1 πατρὸς … δευτέραν ὁμιλίαν ⁶¹⁶

mvp-comment-255-2 ἐφέστιον πῆξαι ⁶¹⁷

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 ⁶¹⁸

mvp-comment-256-1 ἔκ τε ⁶¹⁹ ἐκ δὲ ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-256-2 βρύοντα ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-256-3 ᾧ … γενέσθαι ⁶²²

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 ⁶²³ τοῦ ⁶²⁴ παρόντος ⁶²⁵ του ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-257-2 Ἡλίῳ δείκνυσι τοὖναρ ⁶²⁷

mvp-comment-258-1 οὐ κάτοιδα, πλὴν ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-258-2 πέμπει με κείνη ⁶²⁹

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 ⁶³⁰

mvp-comment-260-1 ἀβουλίᾳ ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-260-2 σὺν κακῷ ⁶³²

mvp-comment-260-3 μέτει ⁶³³

mvp-comment-261-1 ἀλλ’ ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-261-2 ὦ φίλη ⁶³⁵ τούτων μὲν ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-262-1 οὐ … θέμις ⁶³⁷ οὐδ’ ὅσιον ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-262-2 ἐχθρᾶς ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ⁶³⁹

mvp-comment-262-3 κτερίσματ’ ⁶⁴⁰

mvp-comment-262-4 λουτρὰ ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-263-1 ἀλλ’ ἢ πνοαῖσιν ⁶⁴² ῥοαῖσιν ⁶⁴³

mvp-comment-263-2 κρύψον ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-263-3 νιν ⁶⁴⁵

mvp-comment-263-4 ἔνθα μή ποτ’ ⁶⁴⁶ ἔνθεν ⁶⁴⁷

mvp-comment-263-5 εὐνὴν ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-264-1 ἀλλ’ ὅταν θάῃν ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-264-2 The conjecture ἔστ’ ἂν ⁶⁵⁰ ὅταν ⁶⁵¹ σῳζέσθω ⁶⁵²

mvp-comment-264-3 κειμήλἰ ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-265-1 ἀρχὴν ⁶⁵⁴ τλημονεστάτη ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-266-1 ἔβλαστε ⁶⁵⁶

mvp-comment-267-1 ὅν γ’ … τῷδ’ ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-267-2 ἐπέστεφε ⁶⁵⁸

mvp-comment-267-3 442 f. The position of αὐτῇ ⁶⁵⁹

mvp-comment-267-4 δέξεσθαι ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-267-5 It seems, then, a reasonable inference that here, where the reference is to future time, he would have written δέξεσθαι ⁶⁶¹ δέξασθαι ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-267-6 444 ff. Join θανὼν ἄτιμος ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-267-7 ἐμασχαλίσθη ⁶⁶⁴

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 ⁶⁶⁵

mvp-comment-267-10 ἐξέμαξ ν ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-267-11 ἆρα μὴ ⁶⁶⁷

mvp-comment-268-1 οὐκ ἔστιν ⁶⁶⁸

mvp-comment-268-2 ταῦτα μὲν μέθες· σὺ δὲ ⁶⁶⁹

mvp-comment-269-1 βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας ⁶⁷⁰

mvp-comment-269-2 κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης ⁶⁷¹

mvp-comment-270-1 †ἀλιπαρῆ ⁶⁷² λιπαρῆ ⁶⁷³

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

may conceal some corruption: ought possibly to be τήνδε τ’ ⁶⁷⁴ ἀλίπαρον ⁶⁷⁵

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 ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-271-2 χλιδαῖς ⁶⁷⁷

mvp-comment-272-1 προσπίτνουσα ⁶⁷⁸ αὐτὸν ⁶⁷⁹

mvp-comment-273-1 ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χερός ⁶⁸⁰

mvp-comment-273-2 ζῶντ’ ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-274-1 ἀφνεωτέραις ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-274-2 στέφωμεν ⁶⁸³

mvp-comment-274-3 δωρούμεθα ⁶⁸⁴

mvp-comment-275-1 οἶμαι μὲν οὖν ⁶⁸⁵

mvp-comment-275-2 If μέλον ⁶⁸⁶ μέλειν ⁶⁸⁷ μέλον ⁶⁸⁸

mvp-comment-276-1 σοί ⁶⁸⁹

mvp-comment-277-1 βροτῶν ⁶⁹⁰

mvp-comment-278-1 πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ⁶⁹¹

mvp-comment-279-1 δράσω ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-279-2 τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον ⁶⁹³

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 ⁶⁹⁴

mvp-comment-280-1 παρ’ ὑμῶν ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-281-1 πικρὰν ⁶⁹⁶ δοκῶ με … τολμήσειν ⁶⁹⁷ ἔτι ⁶⁹⁸

mvp-comment-282-1 εἰ μὴ )γὼ ⁶⁹⁹

mvp-comment-282-2 γνώμας λειπομένα ⁷⁰⁰

mvp-comment-283-1 ἁ πρόμαντις Δίκα ⁷⁰¹

mvp-comment-283-2 δίκαια φερομένα χεροῖν κράτη ⁷⁰²

mvp-comment-284-1 μέτεισιν ⁷⁰³

mvp-comment-284-2 οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου ⁷⁰⁴

mvp-comment-285-1 ὕπεστί μοι θράσος ⁷⁰⁵ κλύουσαν ⁷⁰⁶

mvp-comment-285-2 ἁδυπνόων … ὀνειράτων ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-286-1 ἀμναστεῖ γ’ ὁ φύσας ς’ ⁷⁰⁸

mvp-comment-287-1 χαλκόπλακτος ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-287-2 γένυς ⁷¹⁰

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 ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-289-1 καὶ πολύπους καὶ πολύχειρ ⁷¹²

mvp-comment-290-1 λόχοις ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-290-2 χαλκόπους ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-291-1 ἄλεκτρ’ ἄνυμφα ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-291-2 γάμων ἁμιλλήμαθ’ ⁷¹⁶

mvp-comment-291-3 ἐπέβα ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-292-1 πρὸ τῶνδέ τοι … συνδρῶσιν ⁷¹⁸

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 ⁷¹⁹

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 ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-293-1 ἀψεγές ⁷²¹ ἀψεφές ⁷²²

mvp-comment-293-2 πελᾶν ⁷²³

mvp-comment-294-1 τοῖς δρῶσι ⁷²⁴ τοῖς συνδρῶσιν ⁷²⁵

mvp-comment-295-1 μαντεῖαι βροτῶν ⁷²⁶

mvp-comment-296-1 εὖ κατασχήσει ⁷²⁷

mvp-comment-297-1 ἱππεία ⁷²⁸

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 ⁷²⁹

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 ⁷³⁰

mvp-comment-299-2 ὁ ποντισθεὶς Μυρτίλος ⁷³¹

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 ⁷³²

mvp-comment-300-1 παγχρυσέων δίφρων ⁷³³

mvp-comment-301-1 πρόρριζος ⁷³⁴

mvp-comment-301-2 ἐκριφθείς ⁷³⁵

mvp-comment-302-1 ἔλειπεν ⁷³⁶ ἔλιπεν ⁷³⁷ οἴκου ⁷³⁸ οἴκους ⁷³⁹ πω ⁷⁴⁰

mvp-comment-303-1 πολύπονος ⁷⁴¹ αἰκία ⁷⁴²

mvp-comment-304-1 ἀνειμένη ⁷⁴³ μέν ⁷⁴⁴

mvp-comment-304-2 ὡς ἔοικας ⁷⁴⁵

mvp-comment-304-3 στρέφει ⁷⁴⁶

mvp-comment-304-4 Clytaemnestra begins in the same strain as Chrysothemis, who likewise emphasised her reproof by the word αὖ ⁷⁴⁷

mvp-comment-305-1 μή τοι θυραίαν γ’ ⁷⁴⁸

mvp-comment-305-2 αἰσχύνειν φίλους ⁷⁴⁹

mvp-comment-306-1 καίτοι ⁷⁵⁰

mvp-comment-306-2 δὴ ⁷⁵¹ πολλούς ⁷⁵²

mvp-comment-306-3 ἐξεῖπάς με … ὡς ⁷⁵³

mvp-comment-306-4 θρασεῖα ⁷⁵⁴ τραχεῖα ⁷⁵⁵

mvp-comment-306-5 ἄρχω ⁷⁵⁶

mvp-comment-307-1 ὕβριν … οὐκ ἔχω ⁷⁵⁷ κακῶς κλύουσα ⁷⁵⁸

mvp-comment-308-1 πατὴρ γάρ ⁷⁵⁹

mvp-comment-308-2 πρόσχημα ⁷⁶⁰

mvp-comment-309-1 ἡ γὰρ Δίκη ⁷⁶¹

mvp-comment-310-1 ᾗ χρῆν σ’ ἀρήγειν ⁷⁶²

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 ⁷⁶³ Ἑλλήνων ⁷⁶⁴

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 ⁷⁶⁵

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 ⁷⁶⁶

mvp-comment-315-1 ἀλλ’ ἀντ’ ἀδελφοῦ δῆτα ⁷⁶⁷ κτανὼν ⁷⁶⁸

mvp-comment-315-2 ἀντὶ ἀδελφοῦ ⁷⁶⁹

mvp-comment-315-3 τἄμ’ ⁷⁷⁰

mvp-comment-316-1 παῖδες … διπλοῖ ⁷⁷¹

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

.

mvp-comment-317-1 ἢ ⁷⁷²

mvp-comment-317-2 ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν Ἅιδης ⁷⁷³

mvp-comment-318-1 δαίσασθαι ⁷⁷⁴

mvp-comment-318-2 The conj. λῄσασθαι ⁷⁷⁵

mvp-comment-319-1 πανώλει ⁷⁷⁶

mvp-comment-319-2 παρεῖτο ⁷⁷⁷

mvp-comment-319-3 The sense does not absolutely require us to take Μενέλεω δ’ ⁷⁷⁸

mvp-comment-320-1 ἀβούλου ⁷⁷⁹

mvp-comment-320-2 κακοῦ γνώμην ⁷⁸⁰

mvp-comment-321-1 δοκῶ μέν ⁷⁸¹

mvp-comment-321-2 εἰ καὶ ⁷⁸²

mvp-comment-322-1 εἰ φωνὴν λάβοι ⁷⁸³

mvp-comment-323-1 τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ⁷⁸⁴

mvp-comment-324-1 γνώμην δικαίαν σχοῦσα ⁷⁸⁵

mvp-comment-325-1 ἐρεῖς μὲν οὐχὶ ⁷⁸⁶ ἐρεῖς ⁷⁸⁷ ἐρεῖς … μ’ ὡς ⁷⁸⁸

mvp-comment-325-2 ἄρξασά τι λυπηρὸν ⁷⁸⁹

mvp-comment-325-3 τάδ’ ἐξήκους’ ⁷⁹⁰

mvp-comment-326-1 τοῦ τεθνηκότος θ’ ὕπερ ⁷⁹¹

mvp-comment-327-1 καὶ μὴν ⁷⁹²

mvp-comment-327-2 λόγους ἐξῆρχές με ⁷⁹³

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 ⁷⁹⁴ πατέρα ⁷⁹⁵ φὴς ⁷⁹⁶

mvp-comment-329-1 εἴτ’ οὖν … εἴτε ⁷⁹⁷

mvp-comment-329-2 λέξω ⁷⁹⁸ δείξω ⁷⁹⁹

mvp-comment-330-1 ὡς οὐ δίκῃ γ’ ⁸⁰⁰ ἔσπασεν ⁸⁰¹ πειθὼ ⁸⁰²

mvp-comment-331-1 κυναγὸν ⁸⁰³

mvp-comment-331-2 ποινὰς ⁸⁰⁴

mvp-comment-331-3 τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματ’ ἔσχ’ ⁸⁰⁵ τὰ πολλὰ ⁸⁰⁶ ἔσχε ⁸⁰⁷

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 ⁸⁰⁸

mvp-comment-331-8 Αὐλίδι ⁸⁰⁹

mvp-comment-332-1 ἢ )γὼ φράσω ⁸¹⁰ κείνης ⁸¹¹

mvp-comment-333-1 ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω ⁸¹²

mvp-comment-333-2 θεᾶς … κατ’ ἄλσος ⁸¹³

mvp-comment-333-3 παίζων ⁸¹⁴

mvp-comment-333-4 ποδοῖν ⁸¹⁵

mvp-comment-334-1 ἔλαφον ⁸¹⁶

mvp-comment-334-2 στικτὸν ⁸¹⁷

mvp-comment-334-3 κεράστην ⁸¹⁸

mvp-comment-334-4 οὗ κατὰ σφαγὰς ⁸¹⁹

mvp-comment-335-1 ἐκκομπάσας ἔπος τι τυγχάνει ⁸²⁰ βαλών ⁸²¹

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 ⁸²² ἔπος ⁸²³

mvp-comment-335-4 Monk, with Musgrave, took σφαγὰς ⁸²⁴

mvp-comment-336-1 ἐκ τοῦδε ⁸²⁵

mvp-comment-336-2 μηνίσασα ⁸²⁶

mvp-comment-336-3 Λητῴα κόρη ⁸²⁷

mvp-comment-337-1 ὡς ⁸²⁸ ἀντίσταθμον ⁸²⁹

mvp-comment-337-2 ἐκθύσειε ⁸³⁰

mvp-comment-338-1 ὧδ’ ἦν ⁸³¹

mvp-comment-338-2 τὰ … θύματ’ ⁸³²

mvp-comment-338-3 λύσις ⁸³³

mvp-comment-338-4 πρὸς οἶκον ⁸³⁴

mvp-comment-339-1 πολλὰ ⁸³⁵

mvp-comment-339-2 ἀντιβὰς ⁸³⁶

mvp-comment-339-3 μόλις ⁸³⁷

mvp-comment-340-1 εἰ δ’ οὖν ⁸³⁸

mvp-comment-340-2 ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σόν ⁸³⁹

mvp-comment-341-1 τούτου … οὕνεκ’ ⁸⁴⁰

mvp-comment-341-2 νόμῳ ⁸⁴¹

mvp-comment-342-1 ὅρα ⁸⁴² μὴ … τιθῇς ⁸⁴³ τίθης ⁸⁴⁴

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 ⁸⁴⁵

mvp-comment-343-1 εἰ γὰρ κτενοῦμεν ⁸⁴⁶

mvp-comment-343-2 πρώτη ⁸⁴⁷

mvp-comment-344-1 εἰσόρα ⁸⁴⁸

mvp-comment-344-2 οὐκ οὖσαν ⁸⁴⁹

mvp-comment-344-3 τίθης ⁸⁵⁰

mvp-comment-344-4 εἰ … θέλεις ⁸⁵¹

mvp-comment-345-1 τῷ παλαμναίῳ ⁸⁵²

mvp-comment-345-2 πρόσθεν ἐξαπώλεσας ⁸⁵³

mvp-comment-346-1 παιδοποιεῖς ⁸⁵⁴

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 ⁸⁵⁵

mvp-comment-346-4 κἀξ εὐσεβῶν ⁸⁵⁶

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 ⁸⁵⁷

mvp-comment-346-7 ἐκβαλοῦσ’ ἔχεις ⁸⁵⁸

mvp-comment-347-1 πῶς ταῦτ’ ἐπαινέσαιμ’ ἄν ⁸⁵⁹

mvp-comment-347-2 ἢ ⁸⁶⁰ ἦ ⁸⁶¹ καὶ τοῦτ’ ⁸⁶² ἄποινα ⁸⁶³

mvp-comment-348-1 αἰσχρῶς δ’ ⁸⁶⁴ δ’ ⁸⁶⁵

mvp-comment-348-2 ἐάν περ καὶ λέγῃς ⁸⁶⁶

mvp-comment-348-3 ἐχθροῖς γαμεῖσθαι ⁸⁶⁷

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 ⁸⁶⁸

mvp-comment-349-2 πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν ⁸⁶⁹

mvp-comment-350-1 κακοστομοῦμεν ⁸⁷⁰

mvp-comment-350-2 καί σ’ ἔγωγε δεσπότιν ⁸⁷¹

mvp-comment-350-3 εἰς ἡμᾶς ⁸⁷² ἣ ⁸⁷³

mvp-comment-351-1 βίον μοχθηρόν ⁸⁷⁴

mvp-comment-351-2 ἔκ τε σοῦ ⁸⁷⁵ κακοῖς … ξυνοῦσα ⁸⁷⁶

mvp-comment-351-3 συννόμου ⁸⁷⁷

mvp-comment-352-1 ὁ δ’ ἄλλος ⁸⁷⁸

mvp-comment-352-2 χεῖρα σὴν ⁸⁷⁹

mvp-comment-352-3 τρίβει βίον ⁸⁸⁰

mvp-comment-352-4 603 The reason for writing δή με σοὶ ⁸⁸¹ δή μέ σοι ⁸⁸²

mvp-comment-352-5 μιάστορα ⁸⁸³

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦδέ γ’ οὕνεκα ⁸⁸⁴

mvp-comment-354-1 εἰς ἅπαντας ⁸⁸⁵

mvp-comment-354-2 χρῇς ⁸⁸⁶

mvp-comment-354-3 στόμαργον ⁸⁸⁷

mvp-comment-355-1 τῶνδε τῶν ἔ|ργων ἴδρις ⁸⁸⁸

mvp-comment-355-2 σχεδόν τι ⁸⁸⁹

mvp-comment-355-3 οὐ καταισχύνω ⁸⁹⁰

mvp-comment-356-1 ὁρῶ μένος πνέουσαν ⁸⁹¹ μένος πνέουσαν ⁸⁹²

mvp-comment-356-2 σὺν δίκῃ ξύνεστι ⁸⁹³

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 ⁸⁹⁴ ἐμοὶ ⁸⁹⁵ μοι ⁸⁹⁶ δεῖ ⁸⁹⁷

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 ⁸⁹⁸

mvp-comment-358-2 τηλικοῦτος ⁸⁹⁹

mvp-comment-358-3 ἆρα ⁹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-358-4 χωρεῖν ἂν ⁹⁰¹ εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ⁹⁰²

mvp-comment-359-1 εὖ νυν ἐπίστω ⁹⁰³

mvp-comment-359-2 ἔξωρα ⁹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-359-3 προσεικότα ⁹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-360-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ⁹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-360-2 ἡ … ἐκ σοῦ δυσμένεια ⁹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-360-3 ἐξαναγκάζει ⁹⁰⁸ αἰσχροῖς ⁹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-360-4 622 f. The word θρέμμα ⁹¹⁰

mvp-comment-360-5 ἦ σ’ ἐγὼ ⁹¹¹

mvp-comment-361-1 νιν ⁹¹²

mvp-comment-361-2 εὑρίσκεται ⁹¹³

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 ⁹¹⁴

mvp-comment-362-2 δέσποιναν ⁹¹⁵

mvp-comment-362-3 Ἄρτεμιν ⁹¹⁶

mvp-comment-362-4 θράσους τοῦδ’ οὐκ ἀλύξεις ⁹¹⁷ μόλῃ ⁹¹⁸

mvp-comment-363-1 ὁρᾷς ⁹¹⁹

mvp-comment-363-2 ἐκφέρει ⁹²⁰

mvp-comment-363-3 The v. l. παρεῖσα ⁹²¹

mvp-comment-364-1 οὐδὲ ⁹²²

mvp-comment-364-2 ὑπ’ εὐφήμου βοῆς ⁹²³

mvp-comment-364-3 ἐπειδὴ σοί γ’ ⁹²⁴

mvp-comment-364-4 πᾶν λέγειν ⁹²⁵

mvp-comment-365-1 κελεύω ⁹²⁶

mvp-comment-365-2 τοὐμὸν στόμ’ ⁹²⁷

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 ⁹²⁸

mvp-comment-365-4 ἡ παροῦσά μοι ⁹²⁹

mvp-comment-365-5 θύματα … πάγκαρπα ⁹³⁰

mvp-comment-366-1 λυτηρίους … δειμάτων ⁹³¹

mvp-comment-366-2 ἀνάσχω ⁹³²

mvp-comment-367-1 κλύοις ἂν ⁹³³

mvp-comment-367-2 προστατήριε ⁹³⁴

mvp-comment-368-1 κεκρυμμένην ⁹³⁵

mvp-comment-368-2 οὐ γὰρ ἐν φίλοις ⁹³⁶

mvp-comment-369-1 πρὸς φῶς ⁹³⁷

mvp-comment-370-1 πολυγλώσσῳ ⁹³⁸

mvp-comment-370-2 σπείρῃ ⁹³⁹

mvp-comment-370-3 ματαίαν ⁹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-371-1 ὧδ’ ⁹⁴¹

mvp-comment-372-1 γὰρ ⁹⁴²

mvp-comment-372-2 δισσῶν ὀνείρων ⁹⁴³

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 ⁹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-373-1 ἐσθλά … ἐχθρά ⁹⁴⁵

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 ⁹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-374-1 εἴ τινες ⁹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλ’ ὧδε ⁹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-375-2 ἀβλαβεῖ βίῳ ⁹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-376-1 δόμους ⁹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-376-2 ἀμφέπειν ⁹⁵¹

mvp-comment-376-3 φίλοισι ⁹⁵²

mvp-comment-377-1 εὐημεροῦσαν ⁹⁵³

mvp-comment-377-2 καὶ τέκνων ⁹⁵⁴ ὅσων ⁹⁵⁵

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 ⁹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-378-1 πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ⁹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-379-1 τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα ⁹⁵⁸

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 ⁹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-380-1 ἦ καὶ ⁹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-380-2 ἐπεικάζων κυρῶ ⁹⁶¹

mvp-comment-380-3 πρέπ<*> γὰρ ⁹⁶²