Sophocles Electra 1398

mvp-comment-774-1 A kommos. It falls into two principal parts. (1) 1398—1421; the death of Clytaemnestra. (2) 1422— 1441; Orestes and Pylades re-enter; Aegisthus approaches; and they prepare to receive him.

mvp-comment-774-2 The general structure of this kommos is clearly strophic; but critics differ on details. The simplest view is that of Dindorf and others, that vv. 1398—1421 form a single strophe,=antistr. 1422— 1441. The lyric verses 1407, 1413—4, and 1419—1421, correspond respectively with 1428, 1433—4, and 1439—1441: for these, see Metrical Analysis. It is usually held, with Hermann, that the correspondence of the iambic trimeters also must be exact. This makes it necessary to assume a gap in our text after v. 1427 (n.), and a second after 1429 (n.), besides the defect in 1432. See Appendix.

mvp-comment-774-3 Electra hastens out of the house. She performs the part of an

, so far as to describe the situation at this moment in the house: then Clytaemnestra's cry is heard, like that of the dying king in Aesch. Ag. 1343 ff. In the Orestes (408 B.C.) Electra has a similar part, perhaps suggested by this. Helen's cry is heard within, and Electra says to the Chorus (1297), .

mvp-comment-775-1 τελοῦσι ¹

mvp-comment-776-1 τάφον ²

mvp-comment-776-2 λέβητα ³

mvp-comment-776-3 κοσμεῖ ⁴

mvp-comment-777-1 αἰαῖ· ἰὼ στέγαι ⁵

mvp-comment-778-1 ἀνήκουστα ⁶

mvp-comment-779-1 ἰδού ⁷

mvp-comment-779-2 μάλ’ αὖ ⁸

mvp-comment-780-1 ἐκ σέθεν ⁹

mvp-comment-780-2 ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ ¹⁰

mvp-comment-780-3 1413 f. The traditional reading φθίνει φθίνει ¹¹ σε ¹² σοι ¹³ μοῖρα καθαμερία ¹⁴ φθίνει ¹⁵

mvp-comment-780-4 Others explain as follows. (1) Keeping both σε ¹⁶ φθίνει φθίνει ¹⁷ σε ¹⁸ φθίνειν φθίνειν ¹⁹

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

, and 1508 ff. The words express the feeling of these (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 into (cr. n.) is equally rash and infelicitous.

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

... 1345

mvp-comment-780-7 διπλῆν ²⁰

mvp-comment-780-8 εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ γ’ ὁμοῦ ²¹

mvp-comment-781-1 τελοῦς ἀραί ²²

mvp-comment-781-2 οἱ … κείμενοι ²³

mvp-comment-781-3 ὑπαὶ ²⁴

mvp-comment-782-1 παλίρρυτον ²⁵

mvp-comment-782-2 ὑπεξαιροῦσι ²⁶

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.

1399. mvp-comment-661-1 τελοῦσι is future. πρόσμενε] Addressed to the Coryphaeus.

1401. mvp-comment-662-1 λέβητα κοσμεῖ] ‘ She is decking the urn,' adorning it with wreaths for funeral consecration. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 686. Mr. Paley doubts, surely unnecessarily, if the cinerary urn be meant here as in Aesch. Cho. 686.

1407. mvp-comment-663-1 ἀνήκουστα] ‘What is horrible to hear,-as ἄρρητα are 'things horrible to tell.'

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

1413-1414. mvp-comment-665-1 If the text is sound, φθίνει is transitive here. καθαμερία is predicative and adverbial, Is destroying thee this very day.' This brief lyrical utterance fills the moment of dread suspense before the falling of the blow.

1417. mvp-comment-666-1 εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ *γ᾿ ὁμοῦ] ‘Ay, would that you were crying "Oh!" for Aegisthus too.' Αἰγίσθῳ follows the construction of μοί in ὤμοι. The reading of the MSS., θ', can only be defended on the questionable ground that Te may be used in tragedy, as in Homer, as an expletive adverb. But on the other hand γε following γάρ is awkward.

1419. mvp-comment-667-1 τελοῦσι] 'Are finishing,' i. e. are accomplishing their end.