Sophocles Electra 258

mvp-comment-714-1 The first part of the third

began, at 1098, with the entrance of Orestes. Now, after the (1232—1287), comes the second part, going down to the point at which the avengers pass into the house, followed by Electra.

mvp-comment-714-2 τὰ … περισς. τῶν λόγων ¹

mvp-comment-715-1 καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ²

mvp-comment-715-2 Conington ( Journ. of Philology, I. p. 156) supposes an allusion to Eur. El. 300—338 , where Electra, speaking to the disguised Orestes, mentions her own sufferings, her mother's splendours, and the insolence of Aegisthus. But such an allusion seems improbable: that speech is not long; it comes in with dramatic fitness; nor does it refer to the wasteful profusion of Aegisthus, which is the main point here. A later speech of Electra's in the same play ( Eur. El. 907—951 ) would in some respects suit the words here better; but that is spoken over the corpse of Aegisthus, and could scarcely be regarded as delaying the action.

mvp-comment-715-3 Another theory, that Sophocles alludes to the earlier part of the Choephori, is certainly mistaken. Possibly he had no particular work in view, but was merely glancing at a tendency which he had noticed in contemporary drama.

mvp-comment-716-1 πατρῴαν ³ δόμων ⁴ ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δ’ ἐκχεῖ ⁵

mvp-comment-716-2 ἐκχεῖ ⁶ διασπείρει μάτην ⁷ ἀντλεῖ ⁸

mvp-comment-717-1 χρόνου … καιρὸν ⁹

mvp-comment-717-2 ἐξείργοι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-717-3 Hermann took

as= , ‘the opportune moment of time.’ The meaning would then be that the might hinder them from seizing that moment. But the phrase is a strange one, scarcely to be justified by Sertor. 16, where is virtually personified,— .

mvp-comment-717-4 The schol. has:

. This only shows that he took as ‘opportunity,’ not as ‘due limit.’ It does not warrant the view that, instead of , he read or .

mvp-comment-718-1 φανέντες ¹¹ κεκρυμμένοι ¹² γελῶντας ¹³

mvp-comment-719-1 οὕτω δὲ ¹⁴ ὅπως ¹⁵

mvp-comment-719-2 )πιγνώσεται ¹⁶

mvp-comment-719-3 νῷν ¹⁷

mvp-comment-719-4 ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους ¹⁸

mvp-comment-720-1 μάτην ¹⁹ μὴ ²⁰ τῇ ²¹

mvp-comment-720-2 εὐτυχησωμεν ²²

mvp-comment-721-1 καὶ σοὶ ²³

mvp-comment-721-2 ὧδ’ … τῇδε ²⁴

mvp-comment-721-3 τοὐμὸν ²⁵ φίλον ²⁶

mvp-comment-722-1 κοὐκ ἐμὰς ²⁷

mvp-comment-723-1 κοὐδ’ ²⁸ βραχὺ ²⁹ καὶ ³⁰ λυπήσασα ³¹ δεξαίμην ³²

mvp-comment-724-1 ὑπηρετοίην ³³ ὑπηρετοίμην ³⁴ δαίμονι ³⁵

mvp-comment-725-1 τἀνθένδε ³⁶

mvp-comment-726-1 στέγας ³⁷ οἴκοις ³⁸

mvp-comment-726-2 δείσῃς … ὡς … ὄψεται ³⁹

mvp-comment-727-1 ἐντέτηκε ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-728-1 χαρᾷ ⁴¹ χαρᾶς ⁴² δακρυρροοῦσα ⁴³

mvp-comment-729-1 ἥτις ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-729-2 ἐσεῖδον ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-729-3 ᾶσκοπα ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-730-1 ὅτε ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-730-2 τοιαύτην ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-730-3 ὥς σοι ⁴⁹ ὡς σοὶ ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-731-1 οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον ⁵¹

mvp-comment-732-1 σιγᾶν … χωροῦντος ⁵²

mvp-comment-732-2 ἐπῄνες’ ⁵³

mvp-comment-732-3 ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-732-4 τῶν ἔνδοθεν ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-733-1 ἄλλως τε καὶ φέροντες ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-733-2 οἷ’ ἂν … ἀπώσαιτ’ ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-734-1 τητώμενοι ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-734-2 παρ’ οὐδὲν ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-735-1 οὐ παρ’ αὐτοῖς ⁶⁰ αὐτοῖς ⁶¹

mvp-comment-736-1 σταθμοῖσι ⁶²

mvp-comment-737-1 ὑμὶν … ὑμῶν ⁶³

mvp-comment-737-2 τὰ δρώμεν’ ⁶⁴ τὰ σώματα ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-738-1 νῦν δ’ … καὶ νῦν ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-739-1 σὺν χαρᾷ βοῆς ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-740-1 ἀπηλλάχθαι ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-741-1 It has been held that these verses, or at least 1340—1344, are spurious (cr. n.). Certainly Orestes has already heard from Electra that Clytaemnestra exults in the news of his death (1153—1156). Still, it is natural that he should make some reference (as he does in 1341) to his emissary's performance of the task. Not less natural is the question in 1343, since the old man, who entered the house at v. 803, is the only person who can tell whether the feeling described by Electra still exists.

mvp-comment-741-2 τἀντεῦθεν ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-742-1 ὑπάρχει ⁷⁰ σε … τινά ⁷¹

mvp-comment-743-1 ὡς ἔοικεν, ὡς τεθν ⁷²

1287. mvp-comment-606-1 As in O. C. 1702, 3 (where see note), the time of misery is continued in memory.

1288. mvp-comment-607-1 This line has been supposed to contain a criticism of the Choephori, where so much time is spent in the preliminaries of the assassination. But this is surely unnecessary, and without parallel in Sophocles, whose practice in this and other respects is not to be inferred from that of Euripides (Phoen. 751, 2, alib.).

1291. mvp-comment-608-1 See Essay on L. § 21. p. 32, 1.

1292. mvp-comment-609-1 'For such recital might prevent you from seizing the opportune moment.'

1295. mvp-comment-610-1 'We shall by our present enterprize frustrate our enemies in their exultation.' γελώντας is to be resumed as a supplementary predicate. For παύσομεν without an expressed participle, cp. supr. 796, οὐχ ὅπως σε παύσομεν.

1296. mvp-comment-611-1 οὕτω δέ] Sc. πρᾶσσε, understood from the general drift of the preceding words.

1296-1297. mvp-comment-612-1 ὅπως .. δόμους] ‘May not detect you by your glad countenance when we (Or. and Pyl.) have come into the house;' i.e. may not find out your secret and perceive the fact. νῷν is gen. absol.

1298. mvp-comment-613-1 μάτην] 'Falsely.' Cp. supr. 1217, πλὴν λόγῳ γ' ἠσκημένον : 63, λόγῳ μάτην θνήσκοντας : Phil. 345.

1304. mvp-comment-614-1 δεξαίμην, although not strongly supported by MS. authority, is a better reading than βουλοίμην.

1306. mvp-comment-615-1 The MS. reading, ὑπηρετοίμην, is upheld by Neue and defended by Mr. Paley as possibly right. The middle voice might be explained as equivalent to the active voice with an ethical dative, such as σοι in supr. 1292. But for a similar corruption, cp. O. T. 840, ἐκπεφευγοίην (ἐκπεφευγοίμην Ε).

1307. mvp-comment-616-1 τἀνθένδε] 'Things here,'- more lit. 'The news from hence.' Not 'What is to be done next?' (Paley.)

1311. mvp-comment-617-1 ἐντέτηκε] Hesych. ἐντέτηκεν· ἐγκεκόλληται.

1312. mvp-comment-618-1 χαρᾷ] The MS. reading χαρᾶς is not impossible, but is extremely improbable, because of the awkward ambiguity between ἐκλήξω χαρᾶς and δακρυρροοῦσα (ὑπὸ) χαρᾶς.

1320. mvp-comment-619-1 δυοῖν] i. e. δυοῖν θατέρου. Cp. Thuc. 1. 33, μηδὲ δυοῖν φθάσαι ἁμάρτωσιν, ἢ .. ἢ ... Andoc. p. 4. 11.

1322-1323. mvp-comment-620-1 σιγᾶν.. χωροῦντος] The Scholiast says, τινὲς τὸν Χορὸν φασὶ λέγειν ταῦτα. And this opinion is adopted by Mr. Paley. The point is doubtful, but there is no reason why Orestes, who is naturally on his guard, should not be the first to perceive an approaching footstep. And the broken line, 1323, as Schndw. observes, is in favour of the MS. reading. ὡς here is 'since,'-not as in Trach. Eur. Ion 515, 6.

1323. mvp-comment-621-1 Electra, supposing one of the household to be approaching, begins to speak in the ambiguous, ironical vein which she continues when Aegisthus comes, infr. 1448-57. It has the effect of relieving her feelings while concealing her thought. She intends to be understood, 'You bear the ashes of Orestes, which will be well received here, although not with joy.' But in her own mind she means, The vengeance which Orestes brings shall not be repulsed from hence, nor will it give joy to those within.'

1325. mvp-comment-622-1 δόμων is ablative genitive with ἀπώσαιτ', but may also be joined with τις as partitive genitive.

1326ff. mvp-comment-623-1 The action, which has been suspended by the emotion of Electra, must now be precipitated. Yet her recognition of the Paedagogus (infr. 1354-63) breaks the suddenness of the transition.

1331. mvp-comment-624-1 σταθμοῖσι τοῖσδε] Either (1), 'At the door-post here,' or (2) figuratively, 'Here by the homestead '-as a watch-dog. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 896, λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν ἄνδρα τόνδε τῶν σταθμῶν κύνα.

1334. mvp-comment-625-1 εὐλάβειαν προὐθέμην] Ι made a point of attending to that.' Cp. Hdt. 6. 21, πένθος μέγα προεθήκαντο : Plat. Phaedr. 259 E.

1338. mvp-comment-626-1 ἀπηλλάχθαι δ᾽ ἀκμή] 'And it is high time to have done.'

1339. mvp-comment-627-1 τἀντεῦθεν] Matters here.' Cp. supr. 1307, τἀνθένδε,