Sophocles, Electra, ed. Francis Storr, 947

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Ἠλέκτρα

ἄκουε δή νυν ᾗ βεβούλευμαι ποεῖν.

παρουσίαν μὲν οἶσθα καὶ σύ που φίλων

ὡς οὔτις ἡμῖν ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ Ἅιδης λαβὼν

ἀπεστέρηκε καὶ μόνα λελείμμεθον.
950

ἐγὼ δʼ ἕως μὲν τὸν κασίγνητον βίῳ

θάλλοντʼ ἔτʼ εἰσήκουον, εἶχον ἐλπίδας

φόνου ποτʼ αὐτὸν πράκτορʼ ἵξεσθαι πατρός·

νῦν δʼ ἡνίκʼ οὐκέτʼ ἔστιν, εἰς σὲ δὴ βλέπω,

ὅπως τὸν αὐτόχειρα πατρῴου φόνου
955

ξὺν τῇδʼ ἀδελφῇ μὴ κατοκνήσεις κτανεῖν

Αἴγισθον· οὐδὲν γάρ σε δεῖ κρύπτειν μʼ ἔτι.

ποῖ γὰρ μενεῖς ῥᾴθυμος, εἰς τίνʼ ἐλπίδων

βλέψασʼ ἔτʼ ὀρθήν; ᾗ πάρεστι μὲν στένειν

πλούτου πατρῴου κτῆσιν ἐστερημένῃ,
960

πάρεστι δʼ ἀλγεῖν ἐς τοσόνδε τοῦ χρόνου

ἄλεκτρα γηράσκουσαν ἀνυμέναιά τε.

καὶ τῶνδε μέντοι μηκέτʼ ἐλπίσῃς ὅπως

τεύξει ποτʼ· οὐ γὰρ ὧδʼ ἄβουλός ἐστʼ ἀνὴρ

Αἴγισθος ὥστε σόν ποτʼ ἢ κἀμὸν γένος
965

βλαστεῖν ἐᾶσαι, πημονὴν αὑτῷ σαφῆ.

ἀλλʼ ἢν ἐπίσπῃ τοῖς ἐμοῖς βουλεύμασιν,

πρῶτον μὲν εὐσέβειαν ἐκ πατρὸς κάτω

θανόντος οἴσει τοῦ κασιγνήτου θʼ ἅμα·

ἔπειτα δʼ, ὥσπερ ἐξέφυς, ἐλευθέρα
970

καλεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν καὶ γάμων ἐπαξίων

τεύξει· φιλεῖ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ χρηστὰ πᾶς ὁρᾶν.

λόγων γε μὴν εὔκλειαν οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσην

σαυτῇ τε κἀμοὶ προσβαλεῖς πεισθεῖσʼ ἐμοί;

τίς γάρ ποτʼ ἀστῶν ἢ ξένων ἡμᾶς ἰδὼν
975

τοιοῖσδʼ ἐπαίνοις οὐχὶ δεξιώσεται·

ἴδεσθε τώδε τὼ κασιγνήτω, φίλοι,

ὣ τὸν πατρῷον οἶκον ἐξεσωσάτην,

ὣ τοῖσιν ἐχθροῖς εὖ βεβηκόσιν ποτὲ

ψυχῆς ἀφειδήσαντε προὐστήτην φόνου·
980

τούτω φιλεῖν χρή, τώδε χρὴ πάντας σέβειν,

τώδʼ ἔν θʼ ἑορταῖς ἔν τε πανδήμῳ πόλει

τιμᾶν ἅπαντας οὕνεκʼ ἀνδρείας χρεών.

τοιαῦτά τοι νὼ πᾶς τις ἐξερεῖ βροτῶν,

ζώσαιν θανούσαιν θʼ ὥστε μὴ ʼκλιπεῖν κλέος.
985

ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλη, πείσθητι, συμπόνει πατρί,

σύγκαμνʼ ἀδελφῷ, παῦσον ἐκ κακῶν ἐμέ,

παῦσον δὲ σαυτήν, τοῦτο γιγνώσκουσʼ ὅτι

ζῆν αἰσχρὸν αἰσχρῶς τοῖς καλῶς πεφυκόσιν.

Electra. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ἠλέκτρα (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 947 focus

ἄκουε δή νυν νῦν LA. ᾗ βεβούλευμαι τελεῖν ποεῖν LF. τελεῖν AL' Pal. γρ. τελεῖν C' mg..

παρουσίαν μὲν οἶσθα καὶ σύ που φίλων καί πού σοι φίλων LL3. καὶ σύ που AFL20. γρ. καὶ σύ που φίλων C7.

ὡς οὔτις ἡμῖν ἐστιν, ἀλλ᾽ "Αιδης λαβὼν

ἀπεστέρηκε καὶ μόνα λελείμμεθον λελείμμεθον L..
950

ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἕως μὲν τὸν κασίγνητον βίῳ

θάλλοντ' *ἔτ' θάλλοντά τ' LAF Pal. θάλοντα τ' L². Reisk. corr. εἰσήκουον, εἶχον ἐλπίδας

φόνου ποτ᾿ αὐτὸν πράκτορ᾽ ἴξεσθαι πατρός·

νῦν δ᾽ ἡνίκ οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστιν, εἰς σὲ δὴ βλέπω,

ὅπως τὸν αὐτόχειρα πατρῴου φόνου
955

ξὺν τῇδ᾽ ἀδελφῇ μὴ κατοκνήσεις κτανεῖν

Αἴγισθον· οὐδὲν γάρ σε δεῖ κρύπτειν μ᾽ ἔτι.

ποῖ γὰρ μενεῖς ῥᾴθυμος, εἰς τίν ἐλπίδων

βλέψασ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ὀρθήν; ᾗ πάρεστι μὲν στένειν

πλούτου πατρώου κτῆσιν ἐστερημένῃ,
960

πάρεστι δ᾽ πάρεστιν L. πάρεστι δ' C7. ἀλγεῖν ἐς τοσόνδε τοῦ χρόνου

ἄλεκτρα γηράσκουσαν ἀνυμέναιά τε.

καὶ τῶνδε μέντοι μηκέτ' μηκέτι L. ἐλπίσῃς ὅπως

τεύξει ποτ· οὐ γὰρ ὧδ᾽ ἄβουλός ἐστ᾽ ἀνὴρ

Αἴγισθος ὥστε σόν ποτ' ἢ κἀμὸν γένος
965

βλαστεῖν ἐᾶσai, πημονὴν αὑτῷ αὐτῶι LA. αὑτῶ Pal. σαφῆ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἣν ἐπίσπῃ τοῖς ἐμοῖς βουλεύμασιν βουλεύμασι(ν) L. βουλεύμασι A.,

πρῶτον μὲν εὐσέβειαν ἐκ πατρὸς κάτω

θανόντος οἴσει τοῦ κασιγνήτου θ᾽ ἅμα·

ἔπειτα δ᾽ ὥσπερ ἐξέφυς, ἐλευθέρα
970

καλεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν καλῆι τολοιπὸν LA. καὶ γάμων ἐπαξίων

τεύξει· φιλεῖ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ χρηστὰ πᾶς ὁρᾶν.

λόγων λόγω LA. λόγω Pal. γε μὴν εὔκλειαν οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσην

σαυτῇ τε κἀμοὶ προσβαλεῖς πεισθεῖσ᾽ ἐμοί πεισθισ᾿ ἐμοί L. πεισθεῖσ᾽ ἐμοί C2.?

τίς γάρ ποτ' ἀστῶν ἢ ξένων ἡμᾶς ἰδὼν
975

τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐπαίνοις οὐχὶ δεξιώσεται,

ἴδεσθε τώδε τὼ κασιγνήτω, φίλοι,

ὣ τὸν πατρῷον τῶν πατρωίων L. τὸν πατρῷον C2. οἶκον ἐξεσωσάτην,

ὣ τοῖσιν ἐχθροῖς εὐ βεβηκόσιν ποτὲ

ψυχῆς ἀφειδήσαντε προὐστήτην φόνου·
980

τούτω φιλεῖν χρή, τώδε τῶδε L. χρὴ πάντας σέβειν·

τώδ᾽ ἔν θ᾽ ἑορταῖς ἔν τε πανδήμῳ πόλει

τιμᾶν ἅπαντας οἵνεκ᾿ ἀνδρείας χρεών.

τοιαῦτά τοι νὰ πᾶς τις ἐξερεῖ βροτῶν,

ζώσαιν θανούσαιν θ᾽ ὥστε μὴ ᾿κλιπεῖν μὴ λιπεῖν A. γρ. μοι λιπεῖν C. κλέος.
985

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ φίλη, πείσθητι ᾿πίσθητι L. Dobree corr., συμπόνει πατρί,

σύγκαμν᾿ ἀδελφῷ, παῦσον ἐκ κακῶν ἐμέ,

παῦσον δὲ σαυτήν, τοῦτο γιγνώσκουσ᾽ γινώσκους' LA., ὅτι

ζῆν αἰσχρὸν αἰσχρῶς τοῖς καλῶς πεφυκόσιν.

ΧΟ.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 947 focus

Then hearken my resolve. Thou seëst now,

We have no friendly succour in the world;

But death has taken all, and we are left

Two only. I, so long as I could hear

My brother lived and flourished, still had hope

He would arise to wreak his father’s blood.

But now that he is gone, to thee I turn,

To help thy sister boldly to destroy

The guilty author of our father’s death,

Aegisthus.—Wherefore hide it from thee now?

—Yea, sister! Till what term wilt thou remain

Inactive? To what end? What hope is yet

Left standing? Surely thou hast cause to grieve,

Bobbed of thy father’s opulent heritage,

And feeling bitterly the creeping years

That find thee still a virgin and unwed.

Nay, nor imagine thou shalt ever know

That blessing. Not so careless of his life

Is King Aegisthus, as to risk the birth

Of sons from us, to his most certain fall.

But if thou wilt but follow my resolve,

First thou shalt win renown of piety

From our dead father, and our brother too,

Who rest beneath the ground, and shalt be free

For evermore in station as in birth,
950

And nobly matched in marriage, for the good
950

Draw gazers to them still. Then seest thou not
950

What meed of honour, if thou dost my will,
950

Thou shalt apportion to thyself and me?
950

For who, beholding us, what citizen,
950

What foreigner, will not extend the hand
950

Of admiration, and exclaim, ‘See, friends,
950

These scions of one stock, these noble twain,

These that have saved their father’s house from woe,

Who once when foes were mighty, set their life

Upon a cast, and stood forth to avenge

The stain of blood! Who will not love the pair

And do them reverence? Who will not give

Honour at festivals, and in the throng

Of popular resort, to these in chief,

For their high courage and their bold emprise?’

Such fame will follow us in all the world.

Living or dying, still to be renowned.

Ah, then, comply, dear sister; give thy sire

This toil—this labour to thy brother give;

End these my sufferings, end thine own regret:

The well-born cannot bear to live in shame.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 947 focus

Wohlan, so höre, was zu thun ich Willens bin.
925

Du weißt es selbst, auf keine Hülfe dürfen wir

Von unsern Freunden hoffen, denn entführt, geraubt

Hat sie der Hades, und allein sind wir zurück.

Ich wohl, so lang ich hörte, daß der Bruder noch

Im Leben blühe, nährte mich mit Hoffnungen,
930

Er werde kommen, fordern einst des Vaters Blut.

Nun er dahingeschieden, blick ich nur zu dir:

Du sollst den Mörder, der den Vater uns erschlug,

Aegisthos, alsbald tödten im Verein mit mir,

Der Schwester: denn Nichts werde dir fortan verhehlt!
935

Was säumst du noch langmüthig? Wo vertraust du noch

Auf sichre Hoffnung? Seufzer nur sind dir vergönnt,

Daß dir der Ahnen reiches Erb' entrissen ward,

Vergönnt, zu jammern, daß du schon so lange Zeit

Als Unvermählte liebelos hinaltern mußt.
940

Und hoffe nicht mehr, daß dir Eh' und Liebe noch

Erblühen werde; denn so ganz des Rathes bloß

Ist nicht Aegisthos, daß er dein und mein Geschlecht

Je Keime treiben ließe, sich zu sich'rem Fluch.

Indeß wofern du meinen Rath befolgen willst,
945

So trägst du frommer Liebe Dank vorerst davon

Bei'm todten Vater drunten und beim Bruder auch;

Dann, wie du frei erwuchsest, also wirst du frei

Fortan genannt sein, und beglückt in würdigem

Ehbunde. Gern sieht Jeder auf das Edle ja.
950

Und siehst du nicht auch, welches Ruhms erhabnen Preis

Du dir und mir erringest, folgst du meinem Rath?

Denn wo erblickt ein Bürger, wo ein Fremdling uns,

Der uns mit solchem Lobe nicht willkommen heißt:

955, Freunde, schauet diese zwei Geschwister hier,
955

Die ihres Vaters hohes Haus erretteten,

Die seinen Widersachern auf des Glückes Bahu,

Ihr Leben wagend, grausen Tod bereiteten!

Sie liebe Jeder, sie zu scheu'n ist Aller Pflicht;

Sie muß an Festen, oder wo das Volk der Stadt
960

Sich sammelt, ehren alle Welt für ihren Muth!"

So werden All' uns preisen, und im Leben nicht,

Und nicht im Tode schwindet unser Ruhm dahin.

Drum folge mir, Geliebte, steh dem Vater bei,

Hilf deinem Bruder, rette mich aus dieser Noth,
965

Und rette dich auch, eingedenk des Einen, daß

In Schmach zu leben eine Schmach dem Edeln ist.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 947 focus

Hear then the solemn purpoi-t of my soul.

Tliou knowst too well how friendless and forlorn

We both are left, by death bereaved of all

Who could support us. Whilst Orestes lived,

I cherished flattering thoughts of sweet revenge ;

But he is gone, and thou ai-t now my hope.

Yes, thou must join (for I will tell thee all)

To kill the murderer. Why should we delay ?

Is aught of comfort left ? Thou canst but weep

Thy ravished foi-tunes torn unjustly from thee ;

Thou canst but mourn thy loss of nuptial rites,

And each domestic bliss. For, O my sister !

The tyrant cannot be so weak of soul

As e'er to suffer our detested race

To send new branches forth for his destruction.

Assist me then. So shalt thou best deserve

A father's praises and a brother's love ;

So shalt thou still, as thou wert born, be free,

And gain a partner worthy of thy bed.

Dost thou not hear th' applauding voice of fame,
950

And every tongue conspire to praise the deed ?
950

Will they not mark us as we pass along,
950

And cry aloud, *' Behold the noble pair !
950

The pious sisters who preserved their race,
950

Whose daring souls, unawed by danger, sought
950

The tyrant's life, regardless of their own.

What love to these, what reverence is due !

These shall th' assembled nation throng to praise,

And every feast with public honours crown.

The fit reward of more than female virtue."

Thus will they talk, my sister, whilst we live,

And after death our names sliall be immortal.

Aid then a brother's, aid a sister's cause.

Think on thy father's wrongs, preserve Electra,

Preserve thyself ; and, oh ! remember well

That to the noble mind a life dishonoured

Is infamy and shame.

Chorus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 947 focus

It behoves me now no more

Aught to conceal from thee. Thus spiritless

How long wilt thou remain? What honest hope

Is left thee yet? To thee is left to mourn,

Of all thy father's treasured wealth deprived;

To thee is left to sigh, and to grow old

So long neglected, unespoused, cut off

From nuptial rites. And hast thou yet an hope

These ever shall be thine ? With keener eye

Forward Ægisthus looks, nor will permit

One scion e'er from thee or me to rise,

Which must be fatal to him. Then pursue

My plan of vengeance: thine will be the praise

Of pious reverence to thy father's shade,

And to thy brother in the realms below.

Nay more, thou wilt assert thy noble birth;

Thou wast born free, and free thou wilt be call'd

Thenceforth, and to thy bed some generous Youth,

Worthy thy high-born race, will then aspire;

For all with reverence on that virtue gaze,

Which vindicates its honours. Seest thou not
950

What glory thou wilt throw round thee and me,
950

To me assenting? Who, when we appear,
950

Argive or stranger, with this voice of praise
950

Will not salute us? "See these sisters, friends,
950

"These dared to vindicate their father's house;
950

"These on his foes, though seated on his throne,
950

"Of their own lives regardless, greatly led

"The pow'rs of vengeance: these should all men love,

"These all should reverence; on the festal days,

"And in the full assemblies, these deserve

"Honour from all; their noble virtue claim

"Such meed." Thus all the world shall sound our praise,

That while we live, and when we die, our fame

Shall never fade. Then listen to my voice,

My dearest sister; for thy father dare,

• Dare for thy brother in this work engage;

Redeem me from my ills, redeem thyself;

And know thou this, that to the nobly born

To live dishonour'd is the foulest stain.

Chorus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 947 focus

Electra

Hear, then, in what way I have decided to take action. As for the support of friends, you yourself doubtless know that we have none. Hades has taken our friends away,

and we two are left alone. I, so long as I heard that my brother still lived and prospered, had hopes that he would yet come to avenge the murder of our father. But now that he is no more, I look next to you
950

and ask that you not flinch from aiding me, your sister, to slay our father’s murderer, Aegisthus. There—I can have no secrets from you anymore.
How long will you wait in indifference? What hope is left standing, to which your eyes can turn? Now you are right to complain
955

that you are robbed of possession of your father’s estate; now you may mourn that you have advanced this far in years without wedded love or bridal song. And do not cling to hopes that you will ever meet with such joys. The man, Aegisthus, is not so unthinking
960

as ever to permit that offspring should shoot up from you or from me either to be a certain bane for himself. But if you will follow my plans, first you will win praise for piety from our dead father below, and from our brother, too;
965

next, you shall be called hereafter free, just as you were born, and shall find a worthy marriage. For noble natures draw the gaze of all.
Then do you not see what fair fame you will procure for yourself and for me, by obeying me?
970

What citizen or stranger when he sees us will not greet us with praises such as these: Behold these two sisters, my friends! They saved their father’s house, and at a time when their foes were firmly established, they took their lives in their hands and administered bloodshed! Worthy of love is this pair, worthy of reverence from all. At festivals, and wherever the citizenry is assembled, let these two be honored by all men for their manly courage. Thus will every one speak of us,
975

so that in life and in death our glory shall not fail.
Come, dear sister, be persuaded! Toil with our father, share the burden of your brother, put an end to my troubles and an end to yours, keeping in mind that a shameful life brings shame upon the noble-born.
985

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-537-1 ποεῖν ¹

mvp-comment-538-1 παρουσίαν ²

mvp-comment-538-2 καὶ σύ που ³

mvp-comment-539-1 λελείμμεθον ⁴

mvp-comment-540-1 θάλλοντ’ ἔτ’ ⁵ βίῳ ⁶

mvp-comment-541-1 πράκτοῤ ⁷

mvp-comment-542-1 εἰς σὲ δὴ βλέπω ⁸

mvp-comment-543-1 κατοκνήσεις ⁹ κατοκνήσῃς ¹⁰

mvp-comment-543-2 Brunck's comment, ‘ soloece vulgo

κατοκνήσῃς

,’ alludes to the rule laid down by R. Dawes (ob. 1766) in Miscellanea Critica (p. 227), and once known as the canon Davesianus, that

ὅπως

could not be used with the first aor. subjunct. act. or midd. Among many examples that refute it are

ἐκπλεύσῃ

in the passage just quoted from Xen. (the fut. being

ἐκπλεύσεται

), and

κλαύσω

in 1122 (the fut. being

κλαύσομαι

mvp-comment-544-1 κρύπτειν ¹¹

mvp-comment-544-2 In this play the fate of Aegisthus forms the climax. Electra has already said that Clytaemnestra shared in the murderous deed (97 ff., 206), and has avowed that she would have wished Orestes to wreak vengeance on her (604). But she does not suggest that she herself or her sister should slay their mother; even the plur.

ἐχθροῖς

in 979 need not mean more than Aegisthus. Sophocles avoids everything that could qualify our sympathy with Electra; while it suits the different aim of Euripides to make her plan the matricide. See Introduction.

mvp-comment-545-1 ποῖ … μενεῖς ¹²

mvp-comment-545-2 βλέψας’ ¹³

mvp-comment-546-1 κτῆσιν ¹⁴ ἐστερημένῃ ¹⁵

mvp-comment-547-1 ἐς τοσόνδε τοῦ χρόνου ¹⁶

mvp-comment-548-1 ἄλεκτρα … ἀνυμέναια ¹⁷

mvp-comment-548-2 γηράσκουσαν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-549-1 τῶνδε ¹⁹

mvp-comment-549-2 ὅπως ²⁰

mvp-comment-550-1 ἢ κἀμὸν ²¹ πημονὴν ²²

mvp-comment-551-1 ἐπίσπῃ ²³

mvp-comment-552-1 εὐσέβειαν … οἴσει ²⁴ θανόντος ²⁵ κάτω ²⁶

mvp-comment-552-2 970 ff. The compound ἐξέφυς ²⁷

mvp-comment-552-3 καλεῖ ²⁸

mvp-comment-552-4 τὰ χρηστὰ ²⁹

mvp-comment-553-1 λόγων γε μὴν εὔκλειαν ³⁰ λόγων ³¹

mvp-comment-554-1 ἀστῶν ἢ ξένων ³²

mvp-comment-554-2 δεξιώσεται ³³

mvp-comment-555-1 ἴδεσθε ³⁴

mvp-comment-556-1 εὖ βεβηκόσιν ³⁵

mvp-comment-556-2 ἀφειδήσαντε ³⁶

mvp-comment-556-3 προὐστήτην φόνου ³⁷ ἐχθροῖς ³⁸ φόνου ³⁹

mvp-comment-556-4 981 f. For τούτω … τώδε ⁴⁰ ἑορταῖς ⁴¹ πανδήμῳ πόλει ⁴² τοι ⁴³

mvp-comment-557-1 συμπόνει ⁴⁴ σύγκαμνε ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-557-2 Electra has already declared her faith that Agamemnon, in the nether world, is the ally of his children (454

ἀρωγόν

: cp. 459 ). Orestes also, as she believes, is now there, working in the same cause. She asks her sister to aid their efforts.

mvp-comment-557-3 Nauck miserably defaces this passage by adopting the corrupt v. l. ἀδελφῇ ⁴⁶ ἐμέ ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-557-4 παῦσον ἐκ κακῶν ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-557-5 989 In τοῖς καλῶς πεφυκόσιν ⁴⁹

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

948. mvp-comment-458-1 The hopelessness of the present situation, which Ismene in the Antigone (Ant. 49 foll.) dwells upon as a ground of inaction, is urged by Electra as a reason for doing what ought to be done. Cp. the words of Henry V in Shakspeare, 4. 1. 1, 'Gloucester, 'tis true that we are in great danger:-The greater therefore should our courage be.'

951-952. mvp-comment-459-1 βίῳ | θάλλοντ᾽ * ἔτ'] The correction (see v. rr.) is necessary. as βίῳ for ἐν βίῳ ὄντα would be too harsh an ellipse.

954. mvp-comment-460-1 εἰς σὲ δὴ βλέπω] Electra knows this to be a forlorn hope, - infr. 1017, 8, but to speak confidently is her only chance of success.

956. mvp-comment-461-1 ξὺν τῇδ᾽ ἀδελφῇ] She adds her own claim of sisterhood to the guilt of Aegisthus, as a reason why Chrysothemis should help her.

957. mvp-comment-462-1 The motive of this line, which has been suspected by some critics, is sufficiently explained by comparing supr. 126, ὁ τάδε πορών, and note. The name which the chorus there suppressed, out of habitual fear, Electra now fearlessly pronounces. She need use no concealment with Chrysothemis, for whether with or without her help, she means to act so as to anticipate prevention.

958. mvp-comment-463-1 ποῖ μενεῖς ῥαθυμος] Το what point will you remain inert?' i.e. How far must things go before you are roused to action? See Essay on L. § 24. p. 41, and cp. esp. O. С. 383, 4, τοὺς δὲ σοὺς ὅποι θεοὶ | πόνους κατοικτιοῦσιν, οὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν.

959. mvp-comment-464-1 ἔτ᾿ ὀρθήν] 'That is not already thrown down.'

960. mvp-comment-465-1 The accusative is probably occasioned by στένειν, i.e. στένειν κτῆσιν, ἐστερημένῃ αὐτῆς, -οι αὐτήν, -though the simple verb is not elsewhere found with the accusative.

963. mvp-comment-466-1 τῶνδε] λέκτρων ὑμεναίων τε.

968. mvp-comment-467-1 εὐσέβειαν] Cp. supr. 345, 6, and note, Ant. 924. κάτω] Sc. ὄντος, absorbed in θανόντος.

971. mvp-comment-468-1 καλεῖ] Future middle for passive.

973. mvp-comment-469-1 λόγων γε μὴν . . οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσην] 'Do you not see how great, at all events, will be the glory of renown?' etc. γε μήν emphasizes what is certain as distinguished from the hope last spoken of, in which there was necessarily some uncertainty.

976. mvp-comment-470-1 Will not point to us with such words of praise?' δεξιοῦσθαι is to extend the right hand towards a person in token of greeting or admiration. Cp. esp. Hom. H. 5. 15, 16, ἦγον ἐς ἀθανάτους, οἱ δ᾽ ἠσπάζοντο ἰδόντες, | χερσί τ' ἐδεξιόωντο.

977. mvp-comment-471-1 On the use of the masculine here, see Essay on L. § 20. p. 30, 2. It is dropped infr. 985, where Electra is speaking more familiarly and in her own person.

979. mvp-comment-472-1 εὐ βεβηκόσιν] 'When in high prosperity. The phrase literally means, Standing firmly." Cp. esp. Archil. Fr. 58, πολλάκις της ἀνατρέπουσι ανατο καὶ μάλ᾽ εὖ βεβηκότας | ὑπτίους κλίνουσι.

980. mvp-comment-473-1 προὐστήτην φόνου] 'Stood forth (1) to slay,' or (2) as avengers of blood.' The genitive is difficult, and is hardly explained by comparing Aj. 803, Eur. Andr. 221. Either (1) it expresses purpose, as in Thuc. 1. 36, καλῶς παράπλου κεῖται, and similar expressions, or (2) the phrase is equivalent to προστάται φόνου ἐγένοντο, 'Became ministers of the blood-feud.'

986. mvp-comment-474-1 συμπόνει πατρί] 'Labour in thy father's cause,-vindicate thy brother's name. As observed above in note on l. 811, the ideas of vengeance and of succour are inseparable. So συγκάμνειν is used of honouring the dead in Aj. 988.

987-988. mvp-comment-475-1 The wild and desperate hope on which this rests, and which has been suggested by the previous lines, is that, when Aegisthus is slain, the people will immediately rise in favor of the surviving representatives of the Atreidae.

Sophocles Electra 947

ed. Francis Storr

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