Sophocles Electra 1422

mvp-comment-783-1 καὶ μὴν ¹

mvp-comment-783-2 στάζει θυηλῆς ²

mvp-comment-783-3 ψέγειν ³ λέγειν ⁴

mvp-comment-784-1 κυρεῖτε ⁵ κυρεῖ ⁶ κυρεῖ δὲ ⁷

mvp-comment-785-1 ἐθέσπισεν ⁸

mvp-comment-786-1 ἐκφοβοῦ … ὡς ⁹ λῆμα ¹⁰

mvp-comment-786-2 After v. 1427 Erfurdt and others suppose the loss of three verses answering to vv. 1404—1406 (

): see note in Appendix on 1398. The context itself, however, does not indicate any lacuna. In a calmer scene, doubtless, we might have looked for some comment from Electra on the announcement that Clytaemnestra is dead. But this is a passage full of excitement and hurrying action. The warning παύσασθε ¹¹

mvp-comment-787-1 ἐκ προδήλου ¹²

mvp-comment-787-2 Here, again, it is supposed that we have lost a trimeter, answering to 1409. (Hermann suggests

.) But the context, at least, does not show any gap in the sense.

mvp-comment-788-1 ὦ παῖδες ¹³ οὐκ ἄψορρον ¹⁴

mvp-comment-789-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-789-2 Some have thought that the words of Orestes in this v. should be metrically equivalent to those of Clyt. in 1411,

. Nauck, for example, proposes ; This seems, however, a groundless assumption.

mvp-comment-790-1 χωρεῖ γεγηθώς ¹⁶

mvp-comment-791-1 βᾶτε κατ’ ἀντιθύρων ¹⁷

mvp-comment-791-2 The word

is known only from the following passages. (1) Od. 16. 159 , describing a position outside of the hut: usually rendered, ‘he stood over against the doorway.’ (2) In Lucian Alex. 16 is the wall opposite to the door of a room; in this wall a second door is made, to admit of a crowd streaming through the room. In Lucian Symp. 8 the sense is the same.

mvp-comment-791-3 Here,

seems to mean, as in the Odyssey, a place close to the doors; probably just inside of them, and (from that point of view) ‘over against them’; a vestibule, or entrance-hall. Cp. 328 . As was a collateral form of ( Etym. Magn. 806. 4, etc.), may have been such a form of . If so, the desirable accus. for could be at once obtained by κατ’ ἀντιθυρῶν’ ¹⁸

mvp-comment-791-4 βᾶτε κάταντα θυρῶν’ ¹⁹

mvp-comment-792-1 εὖ θέμενοι ²⁰

mvp-comment-792-2 τάδ’ ὡς πάλιν ²¹

mvp-comment-793-1 ᾗ νοεῖς ²²

mvp-comment-793-2 The ground for giving the words ᾗ νοεῖς ²³ τελοῦμεν ²⁴

mvp-comment-794-1 καὶ δὴ βέβηκα ²⁵

mvp-comment-795-1 These verses are antistrophic to 1417—1421. δἰ ὠτὸς ²⁶

mvp-comment-795-2 ὡς ἠπίως ²⁷

mvp-comment-795-3 λαθραῖον ²⁸

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.

1422. mvp-comment-669-1 The MSS. have HA. prefixed both to l. 1422 and l. 1424. It cannot stand in both places, and Hermann rightly deleted it before l. 1422. Prof. Paley objects that the antistrophe should begin with a new person. But a change of person is still possible, for ll. 1419-21 need not be given to the coryphaeus. Hermann's arrangement, besides the appropriateness of giving ll. 1422, 3 to the coryphaeus, has the further advantage of making a change of person at the beginning of l. 1424 corresponding to that in l. 1400.

1423. mvp-comment-670-1 'Is dripping from the War-god's sacrifice.' For the genitive, see Essay on L. § 10. p. 15, 3 a. οὐδ᾽ ἔχω λέγειν] And I am speechless,' i.e. the moment is too great for words. Erfurdt's conjecture, οὐδ᾽ ἔχω ψέγειν, has been commonly received. But it is intolerably frigid, and although οὐκ ἔχω τί φῶ is more usual, the other expression, οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν, is quite possible, and it is a natural thing for the Chorus here to say.

1425. mvp-comment-671-1 ᾿Απόλλων εἰ καλῶς ἐθέσπισεν] The horror which pervades the Choëphori is present also here, but is subdued beneath the sense of pious duty. Orestes is now thrilled by the dreadful nature of his act. Electra is simply eager to know whether it has been accomplished.

1429. mvp-comment-672-1 ἐκ προδήλου] ἐκ with the genitive (cp. supr. 78, θυρῶν) marks the point from which the object strikes the sense. 'Lit. "from a position where he is visible before his arrival."' Paley. Hence there is now no fear of his entering the house unperceived (supr. 1403).

1430-1431. mvp-comment-673-1 εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ | τὸν ἄνδρ᾽;] 'Where do ye see him?' This is addressed to the Chorus. The next moment Electra has perceived Aegisthus, and cries out exultingly (l. 1431), 'Here he is at our mercy (ἐφ' ἡμῖν), joyously advancing from the open ground.' Others explain ἐφ' ἡμῖν to mean either with χωρεῖ, 'He comes close upon us,' or with γεγηθώς, Triumphing over us,' or (as the MSS.) with the preceding words, 'Do you see him anywhere near us?'

1432. mvp-comment-674-1 Some words are wanted to complete the senarius, perhaps indicating the absence of the guard, e.g. οὐδ᾽ ὑπηρέτης πάρα.

1433. mvp-comment-675-1 κατ᾿ ἀντιθύρων] Either (1), Towards the place over against the door.' Cp. the use of ἐπί with the genitive in such expressions as ἐπ᾿ οἴκου. Or (2), 'Go and take your position from over against the door.' Supposing the ἀντίθυρα to have been raised in some way above the vestibule, the preposition with the genitive may suggest the idea of holding a vantage-ground, down from which one may strike with effect.

1434. mvp-comment-676-1 τάδ᾽ ὡς πάλιν] Sc. εὖ θῆσθε.

1435. mvp-comment-677-1 It is unnecessary, with Erfurdt, to take the words ᾖ νοεῖς from Orestes. The Chorus had not completed their sentence, and Orestes wishes to show that he understands their drift. Thus, 'Thought leaps out to wed with thought, Ere thought can wed itself to speech.' Electra wants neither thoughts nor words, but action. Hence she briefly says, ἔπειγέ νυν.

1436. mvp-comment-678-1 τἀνθάδ᾽.. ἐμοί] Electra says this when Orestes is already out of sight of the audience. As he disappears, Aegisthus approaches, and the Chorus make their speech (ll. 1439-41), sotto voce, with their eyes turned towards him.

1439. mvp-comment-679-1 ὡς ἠπίως] 'With feigned gentleness.' A few MSS. have ὡς νηπίως, 'With feigned simplicity.' See Scholia.