Sophocles Electra 318

mvp-comment-245-1 τῷ φέρεις ¹

mvp-comment-245-2 ἔμπυρα ²

mvp-comment-246-1 τυμβεῦσαι χοάς ³

mvp-comment-247-1 βροτῶν ⁴

mvp-comment-248-1 ὃν ἔκταν’ αὐτή ⁵ ὅν γ’ ⁶

mvp-comment-249-1 τῷ τοῦτ’ ἤρεσεν ⁷

mvp-comment-250-1 δείματος ⁸

mvp-comment-250-2 δοκεῖν ἐμοί ⁹

mvp-comment-251-1 θεοὶ πατρῷοι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-251-2 συγγένεσθέ γ’ ¹¹

mvp-comment-251-3 ἀλλὰ νῦν ¹²

mvp-comment-252-1 εἴποιμ’ ἂν τότε ¹³

mvp-comment-253-1 ἐπὶ σμικρὸν ¹⁴ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-253-2 φράσαι ¹⁶

mvp-comment-254-1 σμικροὶ λόγοι ¹⁷

mvp-comment-255-1 πατρὸς … δευτέραν ὁμιλίαν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-255-2 ἐφέστιον πῆξαι ¹⁹

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 ²⁰

mvp-comment-256-1 ἔκ τε ²¹ ἐκ δὲ ²²

mvp-comment-256-2 βρύοντα ²³

mvp-comment-256-3 ᾧ … γενέσθαι ²⁴

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 ²⁵ τοῦ ²⁶ παρόντος ²⁷ του ²⁸

mvp-comment-257-2 Ἡλίῳ δείκνυσι τοὖναρ ²⁹

mvp-comment-258-1 οὐ κάτοιδα, πλὴν ³⁰

mvp-comment-258-2 πέμπει με κείνη ³¹

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 ³²

mvp-comment-260-1 ἀβουλίᾳ ³³

mvp-comment-260-2 σὺν κακῷ ³⁴

mvp-comment-260-3 μέτει ³⁵

mvp-comment-261-1 ἀλλ’ ³⁶

mvp-comment-261-2 ὦ φίλη ³⁷ τούτων μὲν ³⁸

mvp-comment-262-1 οὐ … θέμις ³⁹ οὐδ’ ὅσιον ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-262-2 ἐχθρᾶς ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ⁴¹

mvp-comment-262-3 κτερίσματ’ ⁴²

mvp-comment-262-4 λουτρὰ ⁴³

mvp-comment-263-1 ἀλλ’ ἢ πνοαῖσιν ⁴⁴ ῥοαῖσιν ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-263-2 κρύψον ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-263-3 νιν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-263-4 ἔνθα μή ποτ’ ⁴⁸ ἔνθεν ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-263-5 εὐνὴν ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-264-1 ἀλλ’ ὅταν θάῃν ⁵¹

mvp-comment-264-2 The conjecture ἔστ’ ἂν ⁵² ὅταν ⁵³ σῳζέσθω ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-264-3 κειμήλἰ ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-265-1 ἀρχὴν ⁵⁶ τλημονεστάτη ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-266-1 ἔβλαστε ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-267-1 ὅν γ’ … τῷδ’ ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-267-2 ἐπέστεφε ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-267-3 442 f. The position of αὐτῇ ⁶¹

mvp-comment-267-4 δέξεσθαι ⁶²

mvp-comment-267-5 It seems, then, a reasonable inference that here, where the reference is to future time, he would have written δέξεσθαι ⁶³ δέξασθαι ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-267-6 444 ff. Join θανὼν ἄτιμος ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-267-7 ἐμασχαλίσθη ⁶⁶

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 ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-267-10 ἐξέμαξ ν ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-267-11 ἆρα μὴ ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-268-1 οὐκ ἔστιν ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-268-2 ταῦτα μὲν μέθες· σὺ δὲ ⁷¹

mvp-comment-269-1 βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας ⁷²

mvp-comment-269-2 κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης ⁷³

mvp-comment-270-1 †ἀλιπαρῆ ⁷⁴ λιπαρῆ ⁷⁵

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

may conceal some corruption: ought possibly to be τήνδε τ’ ⁷⁶ ἀλίπαρον ⁷⁷

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 ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-271-2 χλιδαῖς ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-272-1 προσπίτνουσα ⁸⁰ αὐτὸν ⁸¹

mvp-comment-273-1 ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χερός ⁸²

mvp-comment-273-2 ζῶντ’ ⁸³

mvp-comment-274-1 ἀφνεωτέραις ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-274-2 στέφωμεν ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-274-3 δωρούμεθα ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-275-1 οἶμαι μὲν οὖν ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-275-2 If μέλον ⁸⁸ μέλειν ⁸⁹ μέλον ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-276-1 σοί ⁹¹

mvp-comment-277-1 βροτῶν ⁹²

mvp-comment-278-1 πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ⁹³

mvp-comment-279-1 δράσω ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-279-2 τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον ⁹⁵

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 ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-280-1 παρ’ ὑμῶν ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-281-1 πικρὰν ⁹⁸ δοκῶ με … τολμήσειν ⁹⁹ ἔτι ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-282-1 εἰ μὴ )γὼ ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-282-2 γνώμας λειπομένα ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-283-1 ἁ πρόμαντις Δίκα ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-283-2 δίκαια φερομένα χεροῖν κράτη ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-284-1 μέτεισιν ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-284-2 οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-285-1 ὕπεστί μοι θράσος ¹⁰⁷ κλύουσαν ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-285-2 ἁδυπνόων … ὀνειράτων ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-286-1 ἀμναστεῖ γ’ ὁ φύσας ς’ ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-287-1 χαλκόπλακτος ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-287-2 γένυς ¹¹²

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 ¹¹³

mvp-comment-289-1 καὶ πολύπους καὶ πολύχειρ ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-290-1 λόχοις ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-290-2 χαλκόπους ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-291-1 ἄλεκτρ’ ἄνυμφα ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-291-2 γάμων ἁμιλλήμαθ’ ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-291-3 ἐπέβα ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-292-1 πρὸ τῶνδέ τοι … συνδρῶσιν ¹²⁰

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 ¹²¹

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 ¹²²

mvp-comment-293-1 ἀψεγές ¹²³ ἀψεφές ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-293-2 πελᾶν ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-294-1 τοῖς δρῶσι ¹²⁶ τοῖς συνδρῶσιν ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-295-1 μαντεῖαι βροτῶν ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-296-1 εὖ κατασχήσει ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-297-1 ἱππεία ¹³⁰

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 ¹³¹

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 ¹³²

mvp-comment-299-2 ὁ ποντισθεὶς Μυρτίλος ¹³³

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 ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-300-1 παγχρυσέων δίφρων ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-301-1 πρόρριζος ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-301-2 ἐκριφθείς ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-302-1 ἔλειπεν ¹³⁸ ἔλιπεν ¹³⁹ οἴκου ¹⁴⁰ οἴκους ¹⁴¹ πω ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-303-1 πολύπονος ¹⁴³ αἰκία ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-304-1 ἀνειμένη ¹⁴⁵ μέν ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-304-2 ὡς ἔοικας ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-304-3 στρέφει ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-304-4 Clytaemnestra begins in the same strain as Chrysothemis, who likewise emphasised her reproof by the word αὖ ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-305-1 μή τοι θυραίαν γ’ ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-305-2 αἰσχύνειν φίλους ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-306-1 καίτοι ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-306-2 δὴ ¹⁵³ πολλούς ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-306-3 ἐξεῖπάς με … ὡς ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-306-4 θρασεῖα ¹⁵⁶ τραχεῖα ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-306-5 ἄρχω ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-307-1 ὕβριν … οὐκ ἔχω ¹⁵⁹ κακῶς κλύουσα ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-308-1 πατὴρ γάρ ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-308-2 πρόσχημα ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-309-1 ἡ γὰρ Δίκη ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-310-1 ᾗ χρῆν σ’ ἀρήγειν ¹⁶⁴

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 ¹⁶⁵ Ἑλλήνων ¹⁶⁶

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 ¹⁶⁷

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 ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-315-1 ἀλλ’ ἀντ’ ἀδελφοῦ δῆτα ¹⁶⁹ κτανὼν ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-315-2 ἀντὶ ἀδελφοῦ ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-315-3 τἄμ’ ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-316-1 παῖδες … διπλοῖ ¹⁷³

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

.

mvp-comment-317-1 ἢ ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-317-2 ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν Ἅιδης ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-318-1 δαίσασθαι ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-318-2 The conj. λῄσασθαι ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-319-1 πανώλει ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-319-2 παρεῖτο ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-319-3 The sense does not absolutely require us to take Μενέλεω δ’ ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-320-1 ἀβούλου ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-320-2 κακοῦ γνώμην ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-321-1 δοκῶ μέν ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-321-2 εἰ καὶ ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-322-1 εἰ φωνὴν λάβοι ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-323-1 τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-324-1 γνώμην δικαίαν σχοῦσα ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-325-1 ἐρεῖς μὲν οὐχὶ ¹⁸⁸ ἐρεῖς ¹⁸⁹ ἐρεῖς … μ’ ὡς ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-325-2 ἄρξασά τι λυπηρὸν ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-325-3 τάδ’ ἐξήκους’ ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-326-1 τοῦ τεθνηκότος θ’ ὕπερ ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-327-1 καὶ μὴν ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-327-2 λόγους ἐξῆρχές με ¹⁹⁵

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 ¹⁹⁶ πατέρα ¹⁹⁷ φὴς ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-329-1 εἴτ’ οὖν … εἴτε ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-329-2 λέξω ²⁰⁰ δείξω ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-330-1 ὡς οὐ δίκῃ γ’ ²⁰² ἔσπασεν ²⁰³ πειθὼ ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-331-1 κυναγὸν ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-331-2 ποινὰς ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-331-3 τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματ’ ἔσχ’ ²⁰⁷ τὰ πολλὰ ²⁰⁸ ἔσχε ²⁰⁹

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 ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-331-8 Αὐλίδι ²¹¹

mvp-comment-332-1 ἢ )γὼ φράσω ²¹² κείνης ²¹³

mvp-comment-333-1 ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-333-2 θεᾶς … κατ’ ἄλσος ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-333-3 παίζων ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-333-4 ποδοῖν ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-334-1 ἔλαφον ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-334-2 στικτὸν ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-334-3 κεράστην ²²⁰

mvp-comment-334-4 οὗ κατὰ σφαγὰς ²²¹

mvp-comment-335-1 ἐκκομπάσας ἔπος τι τυγχάνει ²²² βαλών ²²³

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 ²²⁴ ἔπος ²²⁵

mvp-comment-335-4 Monk, with Musgrave, took σφαγὰς ²²⁶

mvp-comment-336-1 ἐκ τοῦδε ²²⁷

mvp-comment-336-2 μηνίσασα ²²⁸

mvp-comment-336-3 Λητῴα κόρη ²²⁹

mvp-comment-337-1 ὡς ²³⁰ ἀντίσταθμον ²³¹

mvp-comment-337-2 ἐκθύσειε ²³²

mvp-comment-338-1 ὧδ’ ἦν ²³³

mvp-comment-338-2 τὰ … θύματ’ ²³⁴

mvp-comment-338-3 λύσις ²³⁵

mvp-comment-338-4 πρὸς οἶκον ²³⁶

mvp-comment-339-1 πολλὰ ²³⁷

mvp-comment-339-2 ἀντιβὰς ²³⁸

mvp-comment-339-3 μόλις ²³⁹

mvp-comment-340-1 εἰ δ’ οὖν ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-340-2 ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σόν ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-341-1 τούτου … οὕνεκ’ ²⁴²

mvp-comment-341-2 νόμῳ ²⁴³

mvp-comment-342-1 ὅρα ²⁴⁴ μὴ … τιθῇς ²⁴⁵ τίθης ²⁴⁶

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 ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-343-1 εἰ γὰρ κτενοῦμεν ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-343-2 πρώτη ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-344-1 εἰσόρα ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-344-2 οὐκ οὖσαν ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-344-3 τίθης ²⁵²

mvp-comment-344-4 εἰ … θέλεις ²⁵³

mvp-comment-345-1 τῷ παλαμναίῳ ²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-345-2 πρόσθεν ἐξαπώλεσας ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-346-1 παιδοποιεῖς ²⁵⁶

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 ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-346-4 κἀξ εὐσεβῶν ²⁵⁸

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 ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-346-7 ἐκβαλοῦσ’ ἔχεις ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-347-1 πῶς ταῦτ’ ἐπαινέσαιμ’ ἄν ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-347-2 ἢ ²⁶² ἦ ²⁶³ καὶ τοῦτ’ ²⁶⁴ ἄποινα ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-348-1 αἰσχρῶς δ’ ²⁶⁶ δ’ ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-348-2 ἐάν περ καὶ λέγῃς ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-348-3 ἐχθροῖς γαμεῖσθαι ²⁶⁹

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 ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-349-2 πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-350-1 κακοστομοῦμεν ²⁷²

mvp-comment-350-2 καί σ’ ἔγωγε δεσπότιν ²⁷³

mvp-comment-350-3 εἰς ἡμᾶς ²⁷⁴ ἣ ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-351-1 βίον μοχθηρόν ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-351-2 ἔκ τε σοῦ ²⁷⁷ κακοῖς … ξυνοῦσα ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-351-3 συννόμου ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-352-1 ὁ δ’ ἄλλος ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-352-2 χεῖρα σὴν ²⁸¹

mvp-comment-352-3 τρίβει βίον ²⁸²

mvp-comment-352-4 603 The reason for writing δή με σοὶ ²⁸³ δή μέ σοι ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-352-5 μιάστορα ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦδέ γ’ οὕνεκα ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-354-1 εἰς ἅπαντας ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-354-2 χρῇς ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-354-3 στόμαργον ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-355-1 τῶνδε τῶν ἔ|ργων ἴδρις ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-355-2 σχεδόν τι ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-355-3 οὐ καταισχύνω ²⁹²

mvp-comment-356-1 ὁρῶ μένος πνέουσαν ²⁹³ μένος πνέουσαν ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-356-2 σὺν δίκῃ ξύνεστι ²⁹⁵

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 ²⁹⁶ ἐμοὶ ²⁹⁷ μοι ²⁹⁸ δεῖ ²⁹⁹

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 ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-358-2 τηλικοῦτος ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-358-3 ἆρα ³⁰²

mvp-comment-358-4 χωρεῖν ἂν ³⁰³ εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-359-1 εὖ νυν ἐπίστω ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-359-2 ἔξωρα ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-359-3 προσεικότα ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-360-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-360-2 ἡ … ἐκ σοῦ δυσμένεια ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-360-3 ἐξαναγκάζει ³¹⁰ αἰσχροῖς ³¹¹

mvp-comment-360-4 622 f. The word θρέμμα ³¹²

mvp-comment-360-5 ἦ σ’ ἐγὼ ³¹³

mvp-comment-361-1 νιν ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-361-2 εὑρίσκεται ³¹⁵

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 ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-362-2 δέσποιναν ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-362-3 Ἄρτεμιν ³¹⁸

mvp-comment-362-4 θράσους τοῦδ’ οὐκ ἀλύξεις ³¹⁹ μόλῃ ³²⁰

mvp-comment-363-1 ὁρᾷς ³²¹

mvp-comment-363-2 ἐκφέρει ³²²

mvp-comment-363-3 The v. l. παρεῖσα ³²³

mvp-comment-364-1 οὐδὲ ³²⁴

mvp-comment-364-2 ὑπ’ εὐφήμου βοῆς ³²⁵

mvp-comment-364-3 ἐπειδὴ σοί γ’ ³²⁶

mvp-comment-364-4 πᾶν λέγειν ³²⁷

mvp-comment-365-1 κελεύω ³²⁸

mvp-comment-365-2 τοὐμὸν στόμ’ ³²⁹

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 ³³⁰

mvp-comment-365-4 ἡ παροῦσά μοι ³³¹

mvp-comment-365-5 θύματα … πάγκαρπα ³³²

mvp-comment-366-1 λυτηρίους … δειμάτων ³³³

mvp-comment-366-2 ἀνάσχω ³³⁴

mvp-comment-367-1 κλύοις ἂν ³³⁵

mvp-comment-367-2 προστατήριε ³³⁶

mvp-comment-368-1 κεκρυμμένην ³³⁷

mvp-comment-368-2 οὐ γὰρ ἐν φίλοις ³³⁸

mvp-comment-369-1 πρὸς φῶς ³³⁹

mvp-comment-370-1 πολυγλώσσῳ ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-370-2 σπείρῃ ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-370-3 ματαίαν ³⁴²

mvp-comment-371-1 ὧδ’ ³⁴³

mvp-comment-372-1 γὰρ ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-372-2 δισσῶν ὀνείρων ³⁴⁵

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 ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-373-1 ἐσθλά … ἐχθρά ³⁴⁷

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 ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-374-1 εἴ τινες ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλ’ ὧδε ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-375-2 ἀβλαβεῖ βίῳ ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-376-1 δόμους ³⁵²

mvp-comment-376-2 ἀμφέπειν ³⁵³

mvp-comment-376-3 φίλοισι ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-377-1 εὐημεροῦσαν ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-377-2 καὶ τέκνων ³⁵⁶ ὅσων ³⁵⁷

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 ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-378-1 πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-379-1 τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα ³⁶⁰

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 ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-380-1 ἦ καὶ ³⁶²

mvp-comment-380-2 ἐπεικάζων κυρῶ ³⁶³

mvp-comment-380-3 πρέπ<*> γὰρ ³⁶⁴

mvp-comment-381-1 μάλιστα πάντων ³⁶⁵

mvp-comment-381-2 ἥδε σοι κείνη πάρα ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-381-3 666 f. The ὦ ³⁶⁷ χαῖρε ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-382-1 ἐδεξάμην τὸ ῥηθέν ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-382-2 Instant recognition of an utterance as well-omened was a way of appropriating the omen. The proper formula was

or ( Her. 9. 91 ; Ar. Pl. 63 ). But alone was enough ( Xen. An. 1. 8. 17 : cp. Aesch. Ag. 1653 ). The phrase used here recurs in Her. 8. 114 : cp. also Eur. El. 622

προσηκάμην τὸ ῥηθέν

.

mvp-comment-382-3 εἰδέναι … σου ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-383-1 Φανοτεὺς ³⁷¹

mvp-comment-383-2 πρᾶγμα πορσύνων μέγα ³⁷²

mvp-comment-384-1 τὸ ποῖον ³⁷³

mvp-comment-385-1 ἐν βραχεῖ ξυνθεὶς ³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-386-1 τί φής, τί φής ³⁷⁵ ξεῖνε ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-386-2 ταύτης ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-387-1 νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι ³⁷⁸

mvp-comment-388-1 οὐδέν εἰμ’ ἔτι ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-389-1 τὰ σαυτῆς πρᾶσς’ ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-389-2 διόλλυται ³⁸¹

mvp-comment-390-1 κἀπεμπόμην ³⁸² καὶ … φράσω ³⁸³

mvp-comment-391-1 γὰρ ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-392-1 πρόσχημ’ ἀγῶνος ³⁸⁵ Ἑλλάδος ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-392-2 πρόσχημα ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-392-3 Δελφ. ἄθλων ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-393-1 ὀρθίων ³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-393-2 δρόμον … οὗ πρώτη κρίσις ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-394-1 εἰσῆλθε ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-395-1 ἰσώσας * τἀφέσει ³⁹² τῇ φύσει ³⁹³

mvp-comment-395-2 Now there is evidence that the customary order for the foot-races was, 1.

, 2. , 3. . See Boeckh C. I. G. no. 1590 and 1591 (referring to games at Thespiae, circ. 240 B.C.): also no. 2214 (games at Chios, circ. 100—80 B.C.). Paus. 6. 13. 3 (of the athlete Polites at Olympia), . It would agree, then, with the words (684) if the were meant here. [As to Legg. 833 D, see Appendix.]

mvp-comment-395-3 For

as=‘starting-place,’ cp. Suidas ( s.v. ): : Paus. 6. 20. 9 : id. 5. 15. 5 —Dindorf notes that in Aristeides vol. I. p. 339 the words were corrupted to .

mvp-comment-395-4 The proposed versions of the vulgate τῇ φύσει ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-396-1 νίκης … γέρας ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-397-1 χὥπως μὲν ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-397-2 Others explain:—

: ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds to you briefly, when they were so many.’ The place of can be justified by O.T. 1251. But: (1) thus construed, the words ought to mean, ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds as few.’ The other meaning would require , or the like. And (2) is then awkward.

mvp-comment-398-1 ὅσων ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-398-2 εἰσεκήρυξαν ³⁹⁸

mvp-comment-398-3 βραβῆς ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-399-1 δρομων διαύλων ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-399-2 On the whole, I should incline to delete 691, and alter

in 692 to .

mvp-comment-400-1 ἐνεγκὼν ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-400-2 τἀπινίκια ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-401-1 ὠλβίζετ’ ⁴⁰³ ἀνακαλ ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-401-2 Ἀγαμέμνονος ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-401-3 ἀγείραντος ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-402-1 καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τοιαῦθ’ ⁴⁰⁷

mvp-comment-402-2 βλάπτῃ ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-402-3 ἰσχύων ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-403-1 ἄλλης ἡμέρας ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-403-2 ἱππικῶν ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-404-1 ἡλίου τέλλοντος ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-404-2 The Pythian hippodrome was in the Crisaean plain (180 n.), near its upper or northern end, where the rocky gorge of the river Pleistus opens upon a level tract. The site of Crisa, on a spur of Parnassus, overlooked it from the north, and Delphi from the north-east. Beautiful as was Olympia, the scene of the Pythian festival was unrivalled in the grandeur of its natural surroundings.

mvp-comment-405-1 Ἀχαιός ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-406-1 Λίβυες ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-406-2 ζυγωτῶν ⁴¹⁵ ἐπιστάται ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-407-1 κἀκεῖνος ⁴¹⁷

mvp-comment-407-2 ἐν τούτοισι ⁴¹⁸ ἐπὶ ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-407-3 Θεσσαλὰς … ἵππους ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-408-1 ξανθαῖσι ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-408-2 πώλοις ⁴²²

mvp-comment-408-3 Μάγνης ⁴²³

mvp-comment-409-1 λεύκιππος ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-409-2 Αἰνιὰν ⁴²⁵

mvp-comment-410-1 τῶν θεοδμήτων ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-411-1 ἄλλος ⁴²⁷ ἐκπληρῶν ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-412-1 στάντες ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-412-2 †ὅθ’ αὐτοὺς ⁴³⁰ ὅθ’ ⁴³¹ ἵν’ ⁴³² ὅτ’ ⁴³³

mvp-comment-412-3 βραβῆς ⁴³⁴ οἱ τεταγμένοι ⁴³⁵

mvp-comment-412-4 710 *

. I should much prefer to read in 709: but is defensible, and I refrain from change. Two views are possible; the first is generally received, and is perhaps simplest. (1) depends on as= : cp. Ar. Eccl. 683 , ‘I will place them all by lot,’ | See above on 123, Ar. Eccl. 556. (2) = , a parenthetic construction ( ), so that is governed by only, and is a second acc., defining , as in ( Soph. Ph. 1301 ). See on 466

f.

mvp-comment-412-5 ἔπηλαν ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-413-1 χαλκῆς ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-413-2 ὑπαὶ ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-413-3 οἱ δ’ ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-414-1 ὁμοκλήσαντες ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-415-1 ἐν δὲ ⁴⁴¹

mvp-comment-415-2 κροτητῶν ⁴⁴²

mvp-comment-415-3 I formerly took

as=‘welded,’ ‘hammered,’ with ref. to the metal-work of the chariots: cp. Il. 23. 503 : 10. 438 : 4. 226 . (Cp. Helbig, H. E. p. 90.) For this sense of , cp. Pind. fr. 194 .

mvp-comment-416-1 φορεῖθ’ ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-417-1 κέντρων ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-417-2 ὡς ὑπερβάλοι ⁴⁴⁵ τις ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-417-3 χνόας ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-417-4 φρυάγμαθ’ ἱππικά ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-418-1 ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἀμφὶ νῶτα ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-418-2 τροχῶν βάσεις ⁴⁵⁰

mvp-comment-418-3 εἰσέβαλλον ⁴⁵¹

mvp-comment-419-1 ὑπ’ αὐτὴν ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-419-2 ἐσχάτην στήλην ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-420-1 ἔχριμπτ’ ἀεὶ σύριγγα ⁴⁵⁴ ἔχριμπτ’ ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-420-2 δεξιὸν δ’ ἀνεὶς κ.τ.λ. ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-420-3 Sophocles has in mind the words of Nestor to Antilochus, Il. 23. 336

| | , | | (‘so that just the nave of the well-wrought wheel may seem to graze it’).

mvp-comment-421-1 πρὶν μὲν ⁴⁵⁷ ἔπειτα δ’ ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-421-2 ἕστασαν ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-422-1 ἄστομοι ⁴⁶⁰

mvp-comment-422-2 βίᾳ φέρουσιν ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-422-3 ἐκ δ’ ὑποστροφῆς ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-423-1 τελοῦντες κ.τ.λ. ⁴⁶³

mvp-comment-423-2 The Aenian, closely followed by the others, had just completed his sixth

, or double course, in the hippodrome: i.e., he had just passed, for the sixth time, round the goal nearest to the starting-place, and was on the point of beginning his seventh course. Just as he was passing the goal, his horses bolted. Hence he could not work them quite round into the track. They turned out of the left-ward curve ( ), and ran straight on. Meanwhile, one of the two Libyan chariots had swept round the goal in a wider circle, on the Aenian's right. The Aenian's horses dashed head-foremost into the Libyan's team, striking it on the left side.

mvp-comment-423-3 In the four - horse chariot - race at Olympia the number of double courses was twelve. Hence the goal farthest from the starting-place is

| ( Pind. O. 3. 33 : cp. Pind. O. 2. 55 , Pind. O. 6. 75 , Pind. P. 5. 33 ). If the (=4 stadia) be taken as the length of one double course in the hippodrome, twelve such courses give about 51/2 English miles. (Cp. art. Hippodromus in Smith's Dict. Ant., 3rd ed., p. 965 a.)

mvp-comment-423-4 Βαρκαίοις ὄχοις ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-424-1 ἐξ ἑνὸς κακοῦ ⁴⁶⁵ ἔθραυε καὶ ἐνέπιπτε ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-424-2 ναυαγίων ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-424-3 Κρισαῖον … πέδον ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-425-1 γνοὺς δ’ ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-425-2 κἀνοκωχεύει ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-425-3 κλύδων’ ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-426-1 ἔσχατος μὲν ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-426-2 ὑστέρας ἔχων ⁴⁷³ φέρων ⁴⁷⁴ πίστιν φέρων ⁴⁷⁵

mvp-comment-426-3 Those who read

understand, ‘last, indeed, but last by his own choice.’ This is possible, but less simple. The after probably led to the insertion of .

mvp-comment-426-4 Wunder cp. Acad. Pr. 2. 29. 94 Ego enim, ut agitator callidus, prius quam ad finem veniam, equos sustinebo.

mvp-comment-427-1 ὅπως δ’ ὁρᾷ ⁴⁷⁶

mvp-comment-428-1 ἐνσείσας. ⁴⁷⁷

mvp-comment-429-1 κἀξισώσαντε ζυγὰ ⁴⁷⁸

mvp-comment-429-2 τότ’ … ἄλλοθ’ ⁴⁷⁹

mvp-comment-429-3 ἄλλος … ἅτερος ⁴⁸⁰

mvp-comment-429-4 κάρα προβάλλων ⁴⁸¹

mvp-comment-429-5 For προβάλλων ⁴⁸²

mvp-comment-430-1 τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους πάντας ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-430-2 ἀσφαλεῖς ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-430-3 ὠρθοῦθ’ ⁴⁸⁵ ὀρθὸς ἐξ ὀρθῶν δί‐ ⁴⁸⁶ φρων ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-431-1 λύων ἡνίαν ἀριστερὰν ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-432-1 χνόας ⁴⁸⁹ μέσας ⁴⁹⁰

mvp-comment-433-1 ἀντύγων ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-433-2 σὺν δ’ ἑλίσσεται ⁴⁹² τμητοῖς ⁴⁹³

mvp-comment-434-1 διεσπάρησαν εἰς μέσον δρόμον ⁴⁹⁴

mvp-comment-434-2 Cp. Il. 23. 467

, | [ sc. ] (‘rushed out of the course’).

mvp-comment-435-1 στρατὸς ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-435-2 δίφρων ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-435-3 ἀνωλόλυξε ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-435-4 οἷ’ … οἷα ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-436-1 φορούμενος πρὸς οὖδας ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-436-2 ἄλλοτ’ ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-436-3 οὐρανῷ σκέλη προφαίνων ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-437-1 διφρηλάται ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-437-2 κατασχεθόντες ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-438-1 κέαντες ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-438-2 ἐν βραχεῖ χαλκῷ ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-438-3 μέγιστον ⁵⁰⁶

mvp-comment-438-4 σῶμα … σποδοῦ ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-438-5 Cp. Aesch. Ag. 440 (Ares)

| | . Suppl. 1130 | . Propert. 2. 9. 13 (Briseïs with the ashes of Achilles), et tanti corpus Achillei | Maximaque in parva sustulit ossa manu.

mvp-comment-439-1 ἄνδρες Φωκέων ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-439-2 ἐκλάχῃ ⁵⁰⁹

mvp-comment-440-1 τοιαῦτά σοι ⁵¹⁰ ταῦτ’ ἐστίν ⁵¹¹

mvp-comment-440-2 ὡς μὲν ἐν λόγῳ ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-440-3 τοῖς δ’ ἰδ., οἵπερ εἴδομεν ⁵¹³

mvp-comment-440-4 764 f. The word δεσπόταισι ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-440-5 πρόρριζον ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-441-1 ὦ Ζεῦ ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-441-2 λέγω ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-442-1 τῷ νῦν λόγῳ ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-443-1 δεινὸν ⁵¹⁹

mvp-comment-443-2 πάσχοντι ⁵²⁰ ὧν τέκῃ ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-444-1 μάτην ἄρ’ ἡμεῖς κ.τ.λ. ⁵²²

mvp-comment-445-1 μάτην λέγοις ⁵²³

mvp-comment-446-1 ψυχῆς ⁵²⁴

mvp-comment-447-1 μαστῶν κ.τ.λ. ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-447-2 ἀποστὰς ⁵²⁶

mvp-comment-447-3 ἀπεξενοῦτο ⁵²⁷

mvp-comment-448-1 φόνους ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-449-1 ὥστ’ οὔτε … στεγάζειν ⁵²⁹

mvp-comment-449-2 ἐξ ἡμέρας ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-449-3 στεψάζειν ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-449-4 ὁ προστατῶν χρόνος ⁵³²

mvp-comment-449-5 διῆγε ⁵³³

mvp-comment-449-6 783 f. The perf. ἀπήλλαγμαι ⁵³⁴

mvp-comment-449-7 μείζων ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-450-1 τοὐμὸν ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-450-2 ἐκπίνους’ ⁵³⁷

mvp-comment-450-3 ἄκρατον ⁵³⁸

mvp-comment-450-4 νῦν δ’ ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-450-5 ἕκηλα ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-450-6 οὕνεχ’ ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-450-7 ἡμερεύσομεν ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-451-1 οἴμοι τάλαινα ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-451-2 οἰμῶξαι ⁵⁴⁴

mvp-comment-452-1 ἆρ’ ἔχει καλῶς ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-453-1 οὔτοι σὺ ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-454-1 Νέμεσι ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-454-2 τοῦ θανόντος ἀρτίως ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-454-3 Nemesis is the goddess who requires that each man should receive his due (

, Mund. 7. p. 401 b. 13). The ‘Nemesis of the dead man’ is the avenger of wrong done to him; as the Greeks said ( Aesch. Ag. 1432 ), . Cp. Aesch. fr. 266 (‘ our Nemesis’) , | . At Athens were certain rites in honour of the dead ( Dem. or. 41 § 11 ), (Bekker Anecd. I. 282). Nemesis appears in art, too, as a goddess of the dead (Baumeister, Denkm., p. 1008).

mvp-comment-455-1 ἤκουσεν ὧν δεῖ ⁵⁴⁹

mvp-comment-455-2 κἀπεκύρωσεν ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-456-1 οὔκουν … τάδε ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-457-1 οὐχ ὅπως σε παύσομεν ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-458-1 πολλῶν ἂν ἥκοις ⁵⁵³ ἔπαυσας ⁵⁵⁴ παύσαις ⁵⁵⁵

mvp-comment-458-2 πολλῶν ⁵⁵⁶ ἄξιος ⁵⁵⁷ τυχεῖν ⁵⁵⁸

mvp-comment-459-1 εὖ κυρεῖ ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-459-2 800 f. With πράξειας ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-459-3 The emendations which aim at introducing

seem, then, superfluous. The change of καταξίως ⁵⁶¹ πράξειας ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-459-4 τοῦ πορεύς. ξένου ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-460-1 τῶν φίλων ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-461-1 ἆρ’ ὑμὶν ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-461-2 ὧδ’ ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-462-1 ὥς μ’ ἀπώλεσας θανών ⁵⁶⁷

mvp-comment-463-1 ἀποσπάσας ⁵⁶⁸ αἵ ⁵⁶⁹

mvp-comment-464-1 μολεῖν ⁵⁷⁰

mvp-comment-465-1 δουλεύειν ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-465-2 πάλιν ⁵⁷²

mvp-comment-466-1 ἆρά μοι καλῶς ἔχει ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-467-1 τοῦ λοιποῦ χρόνου ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-467-2 818 *

, Hermann's correction of , is made certain by . No dative is needed to explain ξύνοικος ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-468-1 παρεῖσ’ ἐμαυτὴν ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-468-2 αὐανῶ ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-469-1 χάρις ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-470-1 Kommos. 1st strophe, 823—835, =1st antistr., 836—848: 2nd str., 849—859, =2nd antistr., 860—870. For metres see Metrical Analysis. Changes of person occur within a verse (as in 829 ff.,

; ). This indicates that the Chorus is here represented by the coryphaeus; it is, in fact, a lyric duet between the leader and Electra. Similar duets occur in O. T. 649 —697 and O. C. 510 —548, passages which further resemble this as being inserted in : also in the parodos of the O. C.(as at 178 ff.), and its exodos (as at 1677 ff.): and in Ph. 1081 —1217 (as at 1184 f.).

mvp-comment-470-2 These lyrics mark the climax of Electra's grief. The comforter vainly seeks to rouse her from despair.

mvp-comment-470-3 ποῦ ποτε ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-470-4 φαέθων ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-470-5 ἐφορῶντες ⁵⁸¹

mvp-comment-470-6 κρύπτουσιν ⁵⁸²

mvp-comment-471-1 τί δακρύεις ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-472-1 μηδὲν μέγ’ ἀΰσῃς ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-472-2 ἀΰσῃς ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-473-1 ἀπολεῖς ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-474-1 τῶν … οἰχομένων ⁵⁸⁷ φανερῶς ⁵⁸⁸ ἐλπίδα ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-475-1 κατ’ ἐμοῦ τακομένας ⁵⁹⁰ ἐπεμβάσει ⁵⁹¹ κατ’ ἐμοὶ τακομένᾳ ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-476-1 οἶδα γὰρ ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-476-2 Ἀμφιάρεων ⁵⁹⁴ ἄνακτα ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-477-1 χρυσοδέτοις ἕρκεσι ⁵⁹⁶ γυναικῶν ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-477-2 κρυφθέντα ⁵⁹⁸

mvp-comment-477-3 Some vase-paintings, representing the departure of Amphiaraüs for Thebes, show Eriphylè carrying the bribe in her hand. In one of these, on a very ancient vase from Caere, it appears as a necklace of large white pearls (Baumeister, Denkm. p. 67): in another, on a lekythos from Cervetri (Roscher, Lex.p. 295), it is a collar, with projecting rays.

mvp-comment-478-1 ἒ ἔ· ἰώ ⁵⁹⁹

mvp-comment-479-1 πάμψυχος ⁶⁰⁰

mvp-comment-479-2 The cult of Amphiaraüs had its chief seat in Boeotia, but afterwards spread thence to Argos, and throughout Greece. He was a chthonian deity, like Melampus; associated with Dionysus, and then with the Apollinar

. The near Thebes, a dream-oracle, was consulted by Mardonius ( Her. 8. 134 ). In later times the shrine near Oropus was more famous ( I. Paus. 34. 2 ).

mvp-comment-480-1 φεῦ ⁶⁰¹

mvp-comment-480-2 φεῦ δῆτ’ ⁶⁰² ὀλοὰ γὰρ ⁶⁰³ ἐδάμη ⁶⁰⁴ ὀλοὰ ⁶⁰⁵

mvp-comment-480-3 ἐδάμη ⁶⁰⁶ ναί ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-481-1 μελέτωρ ⁶⁰⁸

mvp-comment-481-2 Amphiaraüs was avenged by his son Alcmaeon ,—the counterpart, in this story, of Orestes. Before setting out for Thebes, the seer had charged him with this duty. Eriphylè, bribed once more, prevailed upon her son to lead the Epigoni against Thebes. After its fall, he returned to Argos, and slew her. Pursued by the Erinyes, he fled to Psophis in Arcadia, and there was purified. He was the subject of a play by Sophocles, and of two by Euripides,—the first,

(produced in 438 B.C.), dealing with his absolution, and the second, , with a later episode. Acc. to a grammarian in Anecd. Oxon. II. p. 337, 4, the form of the name used by Eur. was .

mvp-comment-482-1 τὸν ἐν πένθει ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-483-1 ἀναρπασθείς ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-484-1 δειλαία δειλαίων ⁶¹¹

mvp-comment-485-1 ἴστωρ ⁶¹²

mvp-comment-486-1 πανσύρτῳ … αἰῶνι ⁶¹³ αἰῶνι ⁶¹⁴

mvp-comment-486-2 The literal sense then is:—‘(I know this) by a life which, through all the months, is a turbid torrent of many things dread and horrible.’

seems rightly explained in one scholium as : i.e., it has an active sense, like (484 n.), ( Ph. 688 ), ( , Aesch. Ag. 361 ). The genitive, , may depend upon it, as in Soph. Ant. 1184 f. = . But we might also join the genitive with , as=‘a life of’ (made up of) these things. For the verb in ref. to a torrent, cp. Ar. Eq. 527 | : Plut. Mor.p. 5 F . Thus παμμήνῳ ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-486-3 This view gives

a more forcible and more poetical sense than if it be taken as=‘swept together from every side.’ The meaning then would be, ‘a life, through all the months, of many dread horrors, accumulated from every quarter,’—the epithet being transferred from the troubles to the life itself. It would still, indeed, be possible to make active; ‘a life which draws troubles together from all sides’; but such an active sense would be somewhat harsher, on this interpretation, than on that which supposes the image of a torrent.

mvp-comment-487-1 ἁθρήνεις ⁶¹⁶ ἃ θροεῖς ⁶¹⁷ ἃ θρηνεῖς ⁶¹⁸

mvp-comment-488-1 μή μέ νυν ⁶¹⁹

mvp-comment-488-2 παραγάγῃς ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-488-3 ἵν’ ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-489-1 τί φής ⁶²²

mvp-comment-490-1 πάρεισιν ἐλπίδων ἔτι ⁶²³

mvp-comment-490-2 With the other reading,

, both epithets belong to , and mean, ‘hopes from brothers and princes,’— i.e., ‘hopes from a princely brother’: the sense is unchanged, but the phrase is more artificial.

mvp-comment-490-3 That the MSS. have

is more significant than that they also have , which might easily creep in. Suidas, who omits , has , or (in codd. A and C) : but the latter variant can hardly be said to confirm .—At 162 Orestes is called . The fem. occurs at 1081.

mvp-comment-491-1 ἔφυ ⁶²⁴

mvp-comment-492-1 χαλαργοῖς ⁶²⁵

mvp-comment-493-1 τμητοῖς ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-494-1 ἄσκοπος ⁶²⁷

mvp-comment-494-2 ἁ λώβα ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-495-1 ξένος ⁶²⁹

mvp-comment-496-1 ἄτερ ἐμᾶν χερῶν ⁶³⁰

mvp-comment-497-1 κέκευθεν ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-497-2 οὔτε του ⁶³²

mvp-comment-497-3 ἀντιάσας ⁶³³

mvp-comment-497-4 τάφου … γόων ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-498-1 ὑφ’ ἡδονῆς τοι ⁶³⁵ τοι ⁶³⁶ σοι ⁶³⁷

mvp-comment-499-1 τὸ κόσμιον ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-499-2 873 For the place of ὦν ⁶³⁹

mvp-comment-500-1 σὺ ⁶⁴⁰ ἴασιν οὐκ ἔνεστ’ ἰδεῖν ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-501-1 ἐναργῶς ⁶⁴²

mvp-comment-502-1 ἀλλ’ ἦ ⁶⁴³

mvp-comment-502-2 τοῖς ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-503-1 μὰ τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν ⁶⁴⁵

mvp-comment-503-2 ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὕβρει ⁶⁴⁶

mvp-comment-503-3 ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνον ⁶⁴⁷ ὡς ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-503-4 The v.l.

for νῷν ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-504-1 ἐξ ἐμοῦ ⁶⁵⁰ τε καί ⁶⁵¹

mvp-comment-505-1 ἰδοῦσα πίστιν ⁶⁵²

mvp-comment-505-2 εἰς τί μοι ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-505-3 ἀνηκέστῳ ⁶⁵⁴

mvp-comment-505-4 πυρί ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-506-1 σὺ δ’ οὖν ⁶⁵⁶

mvp-comment-506-2 τῷ λόγῳ ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-507-1 καὶ δὴ ⁶⁵⁸

mvp-comment-507-2 κατειδόμην ⁶⁵⁹

mvp-comment-508-1 ἀρχαῖον τάφον ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-509-1 κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας ⁶⁶¹

mvp-comment-509-2 γάλακτος ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-509-3 περιστεφῆ … ἀνθέων ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-509-4 ἔστιν ⁶⁶⁴

mvp-comment-509-5 θήκην ⁶⁶⁵

mvp-comment-510-1 ἔσχον θαῦμα ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-510-2 ἐγχρίμπτῃ ⁶⁶⁷ ἐγχρίμπτει ⁶⁶⁸

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐν γαλήνῃ ⁶⁶⁹

mvp-comment-512-1 ἐσχάτης … πυρᾶς ⁶⁷⁰

mvp-comment-512-2 νεώρη ⁶⁷¹

mvp-comment-513-1 ἐμπαίει κ.τ.λ. ⁶⁷² ὄμμα ⁶⁷³

mvp-comment-513-2 σύνηθες ⁶⁷⁴ ὁρᾶν ⁶⁷⁵

mvp-comment-513-3 The intrans.

(a stronger ) occurs only here; but cp. O. T. 1252 . In Aesch. Ag. 187 are ‘the fortunes which have suddenly struck him’: cp. ib. 347

mvp-comment-513-4 ψυχῇ ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-513-5 The scholium in L runs thus:—

] : i.e., the writer took to mean ‘a sight’; a sense possible for it only when, as here, it denotes the human face or form ( Ai. 977 : ib. 1004: Aesch. Ch. 238 ). This scholium cannot be claimed, however, as indicating that the scholiast read φάσμα ⁶⁷⁷

mvp-comment-514-1 βαστάσασα ⁶⁷⁸

mvp-comment-514-2 δυσφηυῶ μὲν οὔ ⁶⁷⁹ οὔ ⁶⁸⁰

mvp-comment-515-1 νῦν θ’ ὁμοίως καὶ τότ’ ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-515-2 μή του ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-515-3 ἀγλάϊσμα ⁶⁸³

mvp-comment-515-4 911 f. The elliptical πῶς γὰρ ⁶⁸⁴ ᾗ γε ⁶⁸⁵ μηδὲ ⁶⁸⁶ πρὸς θεοὺς ⁶⁸⁷

mvp-comment-515-5 ἀκλαύστῳ ⁶⁸⁸

mvp-comment-516-1 ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ μὲν δὴ ⁶⁸⁹

mvp-comment-517-1 οὔτε δρῶσ’ ἐλάνθαν’ ἄν ⁶⁹⁰

mvp-comment-517-2 It is quite true that such elision was rare; the

more usually averted it. The mistake is to deny that it was admissible. Porson's keen observation and fine instinct led him to no such rule; he found no offence ( e.g.) in Eur. Hec. 1113 ( MSS.; Heath).

mvp-comment-517-3 But is ἐλάνθανεν ⁶⁹¹ δρῶσα ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-517-4 If ἐλάνθαν’ ἄν ⁶⁹³ ἔληθεν ἄν ⁶⁹⁴

mvp-comment-517-5 915 *

is Dindorf's certain correction of τἀπιτίμια ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-518-1 θάρσυνε ⁶⁹⁶

mvp-comment-518-2 οὐχ αὑτὸς ἀεί ⁶⁹⁷

mvp-comment-519-1 νῷν ἧν ⁶⁹⁸ δ’ ⁶⁹⁹

mvp-comment-519-2 κῦρος ⁷⁰⁰

mvp-comment-520-1 φεῦ τῆς ἀνοίας ὥς ⁷⁰¹

mvp-comment-521-1 ὅποι γῆς … φέρει ⁷⁰²

mvp-comment-522-1 πῶς δ’ οὐκ ἐγὼ κάτοιδ’ ⁷⁰³

mvp-comment-523-1 τἀκείνου … σωτήρια ⁷⁰⁴

mvp-comment-524-1 καὶ ποῦ ⁷⁰⁵

mvp-comment-524-2 ὑπέρχεται ⁷⁰⁶

mvp-comment-525-1 μητρὶ ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-526-1 τὰ πολλὰ ⁷⁰⁸ πρὸς τάφον ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-527-1 μάλιστ’ ⁷¹⁰

mvp-comment-527-2 μνημεἶ ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-528-1 ὦ δυστυχής ⁷¹²

mvp-comment-528-2 τοιούσδ’ ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-529-1 ἵν’ ἦμεν ἄτης ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-530-1 λύσεις ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-531-1 οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὅ γ’ εἶπον ⁷¹⁶

mvp-comment-532-1 φερέγγυος ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-533-1 τλῆναι … δρῶσαν ⁷¹⁸

mvp-comment-534-1 ὠφέλειά γ’ ⁷¹⁹

mvp-comment-535-1 ὅρα ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-535-2 πόνου … εὐτυχεῖ ⁷²¹

mvp-comment-536-1 ξυνοίσω ⁷²²

mvp-comment-537-1 ποεῖν ⁷²³

mvp-comment-538-1 παρουσίαν ⁷²⁴

mvp-comment-538-2 καὶ σύ που ⁷²⁵

mvp-comment-539-1 λελείμμεθον ⁷²⁶

mvp-comment-540-1 θάλλοντ’ ἔτ’ ⁷²⁷ βίῳ ⁷²⁸

mvp-comment-541-1 πράκτοῤ ⁷²⁹

mvp-comment-542-1 εἰς σὲ δὴ βλέπω ⁷³⁰

mvp-comment-543-1 κατοκνήσεις ⁷³¹ κατοκνήσῃς ⁷³²

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

,’ alludes to the rule laid down by R. Dawes (ob. 1766) in Miscellanea Critica (p. 227), and once known as the canon Davesianus, that could not be used with the first aor. subjunct. act. or midd. Among many examples that refute it are in the passage just quoted from Xen. (the fut. being ), and in 1122 (the fut. being ).

mvp-comment-544-1 κρύπτειν ⁷³³

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.

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 ⁷³⁴

mvp-comment-545-2 βλέψας’ ⁷³⁵

mvp-comment-546-1 κτῆσιν ⁷³⁶ ἐστερημένῃ ⁷³⁷

mvp-comment-547-1 ἐς τοσόνδε τοῦ χρόνου ⁷³⁸

mvp-comment-548-1 ἄλεκτρα … ἀνυμέναια ⁷³⁹

mvp-comment-548-2 γηράσκουσαν ⁷⁴⁰

mvp-comment-549-1 τῶνδε ⁷⁴¹

mvp-comment-549-2 ὅπως ⁷⁴²

mvp-comment-550-1 ἢ κἀμὸν ⁷⁴³ πημονὴν ⁷⁴⁴

mvp-comment-551-1 ἐπίσπῃ ⁷⁴⁵

mvp-comment-552-1 εὐσέβειαν … οἴσει ⁷⁴⁶ θανόντος ⁷⁴⁷ κάτω ⁷⁴⁸

mvp-comment-552-2 970 ff. The compound ἐξέφυς ⁷⁴⁹

mvp-comment-552-3 καλεῖ ⁷⁵⁰

mvp-comment-552-4 τὰ χρηστὰ ⁷⁵¹

mvp-comment-553-1 λόγων γε μὴν εὔκλειαν ⁷⁵² λόγων ⁷⁵³

mvp-comment-554-1 ἀστῶν ἢ ξένων ⁷⁵⁴

mvp-comment-554-2 δεξιώσεται ⁷⁵⁵

mvp-comment-555-1 ἴδεσθε ⁷⁵⁶

mvp-comment-556-1 εὖ βεβηκόσιν ⁷⁵⁷

mvp-comment-556-2 ἀφειδήσαντε ⁷⁵⁸

mvp-comment-556-3 προὐστήτην φόνου ⁷⁵⁹ ἐχθροῖς ⁷⁶⁰ φόνου ⁷⁶¹

mvp-comment-556-4 981 f. For τούτω … τώδε ⁷⁶² ἑορταῖς ⁷⁶³ πανδήμῳ πόλει ⁷⁶⁴ τοι ⁷⁶⁵

mvp-comment-557-1 συμπόνει ⁷⁶⁶ σύγκαμνε ⁷⁶⁷

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

: 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 ⁷⁶⁸ ἐμέ ⁷⁶⁹

mvp-comment-557-4 παῦσον ἐκ κακῶν ⁷⁷⁰

mvp-comment-557-5 989 In τοῖς καλῶς πεφυκόσιν ⁷⁷¹

mvp-comment-558-1 ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ⁷⁷² καὶ κλύοντι ⁷⁷³ σύμμαχος ⁷⁷⁴

mvp-comment-558-2 993 For the place of μὴ ⁷⁷⁵

mvp-comment-558-3 ἐσῴζετ’ ⁷⁷⁶

mvp-comment-559-1 ἐμβλέψασα ⁷⁷⁷ θράσος … ὁπλίζει ⁷⁷⁸

mvp-comment-560-1 εἰσορᾷς ⁷⁷⁹

mvp-comment-560-2 γυνὴ μὲν ⁷⁸⁰

mvp-comment-560-3 σθένεις δ’ ἔλασσον … χερί ⁷⁸¹

mvp-comment-561-1 ἀπορρεῖ ⁷⁸²

mvp-comment-561-2 κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται ⁷⁸³

mvp-comment-562-1 τοιοῦτον ⁷⁸⁴

mvp-comment-562-2 ἄλυπος ἄτης ⁷⁸⁵

mvp-comment-563-1 κτησώμεθ’ ⁷⁸⁶

mvp-comment-564-1 λύει ⁷⁸⁷ ἡμᾶς ⁷⁸⁸ ἡμῖν ⁷⁸⁹

mvp-comment-564-2 δυσκλεῶς θανεῖν ⁷⁹⁰

mvp-comment-565-1 οὐ γἀρ θανεῖν ⁷⁹¹ γὰρ ⁷⁹²

mvp-comment-566-1 κἀξερημῶσαι γένος ⁷⁹³

mvp-comment-567-1 ἄρρητα … κἀτελῆ ⁷⁹⁴ σοι ⁷⁹⁵

mvp-comment-568-1 ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτέ ⁷⁹⁶

mvp-comment-569-1 The difference between πείθου ⁷⁹⁷ πιθοῦ ⁷⁹⁸

mvp-comment-570-1 καλῶς δ’ ⁷⁹⁹

mvp-comment-571-1 αὐτόχειρί μοι ⁸⁰⁰

mvp-comment-571-2 μόνῃ τε ⁸⁰¹

mvp-comment-571-3 οὐ γὰρ δὴ ⁸⁰² γε ⁸⁰³

mvp-comment-571-4 κενόν ⁸⁰⁴

mvp-comment-572-1 εἴθ’ ὤφελες ⁸⁰⁵

mvp-comment-572-2 πᾶν γὰρ ἂν κατειργάσω ⁸⁰⁶

mvp-comment-573-1 φύσιν γε ⁸⁰⁷ τότε ⁸⁰⁸

mvp-comment-574-1 ὡς οὐχὶ συνδράσουσα ⁸⁰⁹

mvp-comment-574-2 νουθετεῖς ⁸¹⁰

mvp-comment-575-1 εἰκὸς γὰρ ⁸¹¹ ἐγχειροῦντα ⁸¹² πράσσειν ⁸¹³

mvp-comment-576-1 ζηλῶ ⁸¹⁴

mvp-comment-577-1 ἀνέξομαι ⁸¹⁵

mvp-comment-578-1 μὴ πάθῃς τόδε ⁸¹⁶

mvp-comment-579-1 τὸ κρῖναι ⁸¹⁷ μακρὸς ⁸¹⁸

mvp-comment-579-2 χὡ λοιπὸς χρόνος ⁸¹⁹

mvp-comment-580-1 μητρὶ … σῇ ⁸²⁰

mvp-comment-581-1 οὐδ’ αὖ ⁸²¹ οὐδ’ ⁸²²

mvp-comment-581-2 ἔχθος ⁸²³

mvp-comment-582-1 ἀλλ’ οὖν … γ’ ⁸²⁴

mvp-comment-582-2 οἷ … ἀτιμίας ⁸²⁵

mvp-comment-583-1 ἀτιμίας μὲν οὔ ⁸²⁶

mvp-comment-584-1 τῷ σῷ δικαίῳ ⁸²⁷ δῆτ’ ⁸²⁸

mvp-comment-585-1 ἦ δεινὸν ⁸²⁹

mvp-comment-585-2 εὖ λέγουσαν ⁸³⁰ ἐξαμαρτάνειν ⁸³¹

mvp-comment-586-1 ᾧ σὺ πρόσκεισαι κακῷ ⁸³²

mvp-comment-587-1 τί δ); οὐ δοκῶ σοι ⁸³³

mvp-comment-588-1 εἰ ποήσεις ⁸³⁴

mvp-comment-589-1 καὶ μὴν ⁸³⁵

mvp-comment-590-1 βουλεύσει πάλιν ⁸³⁶

mvp-comment-591-1 φρονεῖν ⁸³⁷

mvp-comment-592-1 ταῦτα ⁸³⁸ νεωστί ⁸³⁹ ι ⁸⁴⁰

mvp-comment-593-1 τολμᾷς ⁸⁴¹

mvp-comment-594-1 οὔ σοι μὴ μεθέψομαι ⁸⁴²

mvp-comment-595-1 καὶ τὸ θηρᾶσθαι κενά ⁸⁴³ καὶ ⁸⁴⁴

mvp-comment-595-2 κενά ⁸⁴⁵

mvp-comment-596-1 ὅταν γὰρ ⁸⁴⁶

mvp-comment-596-2 βεβήκῃς ⁸⁴⁷

mvp-comment-597-1 ἄνωθεν ⁸⁴⁸

mvp-comment-597-2 οἰωνοὺς ⁸⁴⁹

mvp-comment-598-1 ἐσορώμενοι ⁸⁵⁰ ἀφ’ ὧν ⁸⁵¹

mvp-comment-599-1 εὕρωσι ⁸⁵²

mvp-comment-599-2 ἐπ’ ἴσας ⁸⁵³

mvp-comment-600-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ τὰν ⁸⁵⁴

mvp-comment-601-1 τὰν οὐρανίαν Θέμιν ⁸⁵⁵

mvp-comment-602-1 ἀπόνητοι ⁸⁵⁶

mvp-comment-603-1 χθονία ⁸⁵⁷ βροτοῖσι ⁸⁵⁸

mvp-comment-603-2 φάμα ⁸⁵⁹

mvp-comment-603-3 Some write Φάμα ⁸⁶⁰

mvp-comment-604-1 κατά … βόασον ⁸⁶¹

mvp-comment-604-2 μοι ⁸⁶²

mvp-comment-605-1 Ἀτρείδαις ⁸⁶³

mvp-comment-605-2 ἀχόρευτα ⁸⁶⁴ ὀνείδη ⁸⁶⁵

mvp-comment-606-1 νοσεῖ ⁸⁶⁶ δή ⁸⁶⁷

mvp-comment-607-1 τὰ δὲ πρὸς τέκνων ⁸⁶⁸

mvp-comment-607-2 διπλῆ φύλοπις ⁸⁶⁹

mvp-comment-607-3 οὐκέτ’ ἐξισοῦται ⁸⁷⁰ φιλοτασίῳ διαίτᾳ ⁸⁷¹

mvp-comment-607-4 It is also possible, though (I think) less natural, to take the dat.

as depending on (‘is no longer compatible with friendly intercourse’).

mvp-comment-608-1 σαλεύει ⁸⁷²

mvp-comment-609-1 Ἠλέκτρα, †τὸν ἀεὶ πατρὸς ⁸⁷³

mvp-comment-609-2 Hence it is now generally held that this verse is corrupt. But no certain correction has yet been proposed. The word ἀεὶ ⁸⁷⁴ πατρὸς ⁸⁷⁵

mvp-comment-609-3 Far the best conjecture is Heath's, ἁ παῖς, οἶτον ἀεὶ πατρὸς ⁸⁷⁶

mvp-comment-610-1 πάνδυρτος ⁸⁷⁷

mvp-comment-611-1 οὔτε … τε ⁸⁷⁸

mvp-comment-611-2 τὸ … μὴ βλέπειν ⁸⁷⁹

mvp-comment-612-1 διδύμαν … Ἐρινύν ⁸⁸⁰

mvp-comment-613-1 τίς ἂν εὔπατρις ⁸⁸¹

mvp-comment-614-1 οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν <γὰρ> ⁸⁸² τῶν ἀγαθῶν ⁸⁸³

mvp-comment-615-1 ζῶν κακῶς ⁸⁸⁴

mvp-comment-615-2 νώνυμος ⁸⁸⁵

mvp-comment-616-1 πάγκλαυτον αἰῶνα κοινὸν ⁸⁸⁶

mvp-comment-616-2 εἵλου ⁸⁸⁷

mvp-comment-617-1 τὸ μὴ καλὸν καθοπλίσασα ⁸⁸⁸ ἀπολακτίσασα ⁸⁸⁹

mvp-comment-617-2 If καθοπλίσασα ⁸⁹⁰

mvp-comment-617-3 (1) ‘Having vanquished dishonour’ (schol.

), i.e., having overcome the temptation of ignoble ease and security. elsewhere means to ‘arm’ or ‘equip,’ never ‘to subdue by arms’; if it has the latter sense here, it follows the analogy of such compounds as .

mvp-comment-617-4 (2) ‘Having made ready an unlovely deed’: i.e., the vengeance on the murderers.—See Appendix.

mvp-comment-618-1 φέρειν ⁸⁹¹

mvp-comment-618-2 ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ ⁸⁹²

mvp-comment-619-1 καθύπερθεν ⁸⁹³

mvp-comment-619-2 τεῶν ⁸⁹⁴ τῶν ⁸⁹⁵ τοσόνδ’ ⁸⁹⁶

mvp-comment-620-1 ὑπόχειρ ⁸⁹⁷

mvp-comment-621-1 μοίρᾳ … οὐκ ἐν ἐσθλᾷ βεβῶσαν ⁸⁹⁸

mvp-comment-622-1 μέγιστα … νόμιμα ⁸⁹⁹

mvp-comment-622-2 ἔβλαστε ⁹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-622-3 τῶνδε φερομέναν ἄριστα ⁹⁰¹ τῶνδε ⁹⁰²

mvp-comment-622-4 I formerly understood:—‘in respect to these laws, prospering full well’:

being then an adv., while is used as in Thuc. 2. 60 § 3 : 5. 15 § 2 : 5. 16 § 1 . This view is recommended by the fact that then forms a clear antithesis to . But two points are against it. (1) , as a genitive of relation, is somewhat awkward; though we might compare Thuc. 3. 92 § 4 : and id. 1. 36 § 2 . (2) The poet's usage, as we have seen, favours the other sense of .

mvp-comment-623-1 τᾷ Ζηνὸς εὐσεβείᾳ ⁹⁰³ Διὸς ⁹⁰⁴ Ζηνὸς ⁹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-624-1 εἰσηκούσαμεν ⁹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-624-2 ὀρθῶς θ’ ⁹⁰⁷ δ’ ⁹⁰⁸ θ’ ⁹⁰⁹ τε ⁹¹⁰ δέ ⁹¹¹

mvp-comment-624-3 ἔνθα ⁹¹²

mvp-comment-625-1 Αἴγισθον ⁹¹³ ᾤκηκεν ⁹¹⁴

mvp-comment-626-1 ἀλλ’ ⁹¹⁵

mvp-comment-626-2 χὡ φράσας ⁹¹⁶

mvp-comment-626-3 ἀζήμιος ⁹¹⁷

mvp-comment-627-1 τίς … φράσειεν ἄν ⁹¹⁸

mvp-comment-627-2 ποθεινὴν ⁹¹⁹

mvp-comment-627-3 κοινόπουν ⁹²⁰

mvp-comment-628-1 τὸν ἄγχιστον ⁹²¹

mvp-comment-629-1 ἴθ’, ὦ γύναι ⁹²²

mvp-comment-630-1 οὐ δή ποθ’ ⁹²³

mvp-comment-631-1 τὴν σὴν κληδόν’ ⁹²⁴

mvp-comment-631-2 Στρόφιος ⁹²⁵

mvp-comment-632-1 φέροντες ⁹²⁶ κομίζομεν ⁹²⁷

mvp-comment-633-1 τοῦτ’ ἐκεῖν’ ⁹²⁸

mvp-comment-633-2 πρόχειρον ⁹²⁹

mvp-comment-633-3 ἄχθος ⁹³⁰

mvp-comment-634-1 κέκευθεν ⁹³¹

mvp-comment-634-2 1122 Cp. Aesch. P. V. 637

.

mvp-comment-635-1 δότε ⁹³² ἥτις ἐστί ⁹³³

mvp-comment-635-2 ἐπαιτεῖται ⁹³⁴

mvp-comment-635-3 πρὸς αἵματος ⁹³⁵

mvp-comment-635-4 φύσιν ⁹³⁶

mvp-comment-636-1 ψυχῆς Ὀρέστου λοιπόν ⁹³⁷

mvp-comment-636-2 ἀπ’ ἐλπίδων ⁹³⁸

mvp-comment-636-3 Then οὐχ ὧνπερ ⁹³⁹

mvp-comment-636-4 Other possibilities are the following. (1) Keeping both

and , to take as=‘ with hopes.’ The prep. would then be used as when it denotes a resource: 1378 : Thuc. 1. 91 § 7 . (Observe that in Soph. Tr. 667 is not really similar; it means, ‘as the outcome of a fair hope.’) The prevailing usage of condemns this view.

mvp-comment-636-5 (2) Still keeping

, to change , with Schaefer, to . Cp. Eur. Hec. 351 . This is possible; though , when thus used, commonly denotes an external accompaniment ( Soph. Tr. 419 n.); as, indeed, even in Hec. l. c., the hopes are not merely Polyxena's own, but those of her friends. Further: meaning ‘contrary to’—strikes the note of despair more forcibly.

mvp-comment-636-6 (3) Keeping

as=‘contrary to,’ to alter either to οὐχ ὅνπερ ⁹⁴⁰ οὐχ ὥσπερ ⁹⁴¹

mvp-comment-636-7 On the whole, I retain the traditional reading, though not without a suspicion that either

or is unsound.

mvp-comment-637-1 νῦν μὲν γὰρ ⁹⁴²

mvp-comment-637-2 οὐδὲν ὄντα ⁹⁴³

mvp-comment-637-3 βαστάζω ⁹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-637-4 λαμπρὸν ⁹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-638-1 ὡς ὤφελον ⁹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-638-2 The v.l. ὤφελες ⁹⁴⁷ κλέψασα ⁹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-638-3 τοῖνδε ⁹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-638-4 κἀνασώσασθαι ⁹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-638-5 φόνου ⁹⁵¹

mvp-comment-639-1 ὅπως … ἔκεισο ⁹⁵²

mvp-comment-639-2 τύμβου πατρῴου ⁹⁵³

mvp-comment-640-1 φυγὰς ⁹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-641-1 ἐν ⁹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-641-2 φίλαισι ⁹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-642-1 λουτροῖς σ’ ἐκόσμης’ ⁹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-643-1 ἄθλιον βάρος ⁹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-644-1 ἐν ξέναισι χερσὶ κηδευθεὶς ⁹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-644-2 σμικρὸς … ὄγκος ⁹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-645-1 τῆς ἐμῆς … τρ. ἀνωφελήτου ⁹⁶¹

mvp-comment-645-2 παρέσχον ⁹⁶²

mvp-comment-646-1 ἢ κἀμοῦ ⁹⁶³

mvp-comment-646-2 μητρὸς … φίλος ⁹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-646-3 The schol. on 1146 has,

. But P. N. Papageorgius corrects to ( Scholia in Soph. Trag. Vetera, Leipsic, 1888). And this is confirmed by the first part of the same scholium: : i.e., the scholiast understood, ‘for thou didst not belong to thy mother more than to me,’ and took as=a vocative.

mvp-comment-647-1 οἱ κατ’ οἶκον ⁹⁶⁵ ἦσαν ⁹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-647-2 ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ τροφός ⁹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-648-1 ἀδελφὴ σοὶ ⁹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-648-2 προσηυδώμην ⁹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-649-1 ἐκλέλοιπε ⁹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-649-2 θανόντι ⁹⁷¹

mvp-comment-649-3 συναρπάσας ⁹⁷²

mvp-comment-649-4 θύελλ’ ⁹⁷³

mvp-comment-650-1 τέθνηκ’ ἐγὼ σοί ⁹⁷⁴ σοί ⁹⁷⁵ τέθνηκ’ ἐγώ σοι ⁹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-650-2 Others explain: (1) ‘I am dead because of thee’; ‘thou hast been the death of me.’ The dat. is then like that in Ai. 1128

(‘in his purpose, I am dead’). But this is less suitable to the context. (2) ‘I am dead to thee, as thou to me,’— i.e., we are now parted from each other by the barrier between earth and Hades.—The objection to τέθνηκ’ ἐγώ· σὺ ⁹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-651-1 μήτηρ ἀμήτωρ ⁹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-651-2 ἧς ⁹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-651-3 1160—

mvp-comment-652-1 οἴμοι μοί ⁹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-653-1 κελεύθους ⁹⁸¹

mvp-comment-653-2 ἀπώλεσας ⁹⁸²

mvp-comment-653-3 δῆτ’ ⁹⁸³

mvp-comment-654-1 τοιγὰρ σὺ δέξαι μ’ ⁹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-654-2 τὴν μηδὲν ⁹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-654-3 τὸ μηδὲν ⁹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-655-1 μετεῖχον τῶν ἴσων ⁹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-655-2 μὴ ἀπολείπεσθαι ⁹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-656-1 τοὺς ⁹⁸⁹ θανόντας ⁹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-657-1 θνητοῦ ⁹⁹¹ θνητὸς ⁹⁹²

mvp-comment-657-2 φρόνει ⁹⁹³

mvp-comment-658-1 πᾶσιν γὰρ ἡμῖν ⁹⁹⁴ τοῦτ’ ⁹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-659-1 φεῦ φεῦ, τί λέξω ⁹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-659-2 λόγων ⁹⁹⁷ ποῖ ⁹⁹⁸ ἀμηχανῶν ⁹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-660-1 It is well to observe the delicately gradual process which leads up to the recognition.

mvp-comment-660-2 (i) 1176—1187. She is surprised that her woes should affect the stranger, and he hints that they are his own. (ii) 1188 —1198. She is thus led to speak more in detail of her sorrows, and of her despair,—caused by her brother's death. (iii) 1199—1204. He once more expresses his pity,—and this time in words which cause her to ask whether he can be a kinsman. He does not give a direct answer, but inquires whether the Chorus are friendly, and is assured that they are so.

mvp-comment-660-3 The preparation is now complete: the actual disclosure follows. (i) 1205— 1210. He asks her to give him the urn which is in her hands: she entreats that she may be allowed to keep it, and to pay it the last honours. (ii) 1211—1217. He tells her that she ought not to mourn for her brother. ‘Why,’ she asks: ‘if these are his ashes?’ ‘They are not so,’ he replies,—taking the urn from her hands. (iii) 1218—1221. ‘Where, then,’ she asks, ‘is his grave?’ ‘The living have no grave.’ ‘He lives?’ ‘Yes,—as surely as I live.’

mvp-comment-660-4 ἔσχες ἄλγος ¹⁰⁰⁰

mvp-comment-661-1 κλεινὸν ¹⁰⁰¹

mvp-comment-662-1 Bergk has an ingenious (though, I think, mistaken) theory concerning this passage. Seeing that v. 1180 resembles v. 1184, he suggests that 1180 was an inferior variant for 1184: and, on similar grounds, that 1183 was a feebler substitute for 1179. That is, there were two different texts of this passage. ( a) In one of them, the better, verses 1180 and 1183 were absent, and the rest stood in this order, 1178, 1181, 1182, 1179, 1184. ( b) In the other, verses 1179 and 1184 were absent, and the rest stood in this order, 1178, 1181, 1182, 1183, 1180. The present text arose from an attempt to harmonise the other two.

mvp-comment-662-2 We have only to read the dialogue with attention to perceive that this hypothesis of variants is arbitrary. Verse 1183 expresses sympathy in a more definite and emphatic manner than v. 1179: verse 1184 expresses surprise more directly and decidedly than v. 1180. There is a gradual accentuation of the stranger's interest and of Electra's perplexity. This development is the internal proof that our text has not arisen from a dittographia.

mvp-comment-662-3 καὶ μάλ’ ¹⁰⁰²

mvp-comment-663-1 ταλαίνης ¹⁰⁰³ συμφορᾶς ¹⁰⁰⁴

mvp-comment-664-1 οὐ ¹⁰⁰⁵

mvp-comment-665-1 ἀτίμως ¹⁰⁰⁶ κἀθέως ¹⁰⁰⁷

mvp-comment-666-1 ἢ )μὲ ¹⁰⁰⁸

mvp-comment-666-2 δυσφημεῖς ¹⁰⁰⁹ ἄλλην ¹⁰¹⁰ ξένε ¹⁰¹¹

mvp-comment-667-1 ἀνύμφου ¹⁰¹²

mvp-comment-667-2 τροφῆς ¹⁰¹³

mvp-comment-668-1 τί δή ποτ’ ¹⁰¹⁴ μοι ¹⁰¹⁵ ἐπισκοπῶν ¹⁰¹⁶ τί ¹⁰¹⁷

mvp-comment-669-1 ἐν τῷ … τῶν εἰρημένων ¹⁰¹⁸

mvp-comment-670-1 ὁρῶν σὲ ¹⁰¹⁹ σὲ ¹⁰²⁰ σε ¹⁰²¹ τῶν ἐμῶν ¹⁰²² σέ ¹⁰²³

mvp-comment-670-2 ἐμπρέπουσαν ¹⁰²⁴

mvp-comment-671-1 πόθεν ¹⁰²⁵

mvp-comment-672-1 εἶτα ¹⁰²⁶

mvp-comment-672-2 δουλεύω ¹⁰²⁷

mvp-comment-673-1 ἀνάγκῃ … προτρέπει ¹⁰²⁸

mvp-comment-674-1 ἐξισοῖ ¹⁰²⁹

mvp-comment-675-1 χερσὶν ¹⁰³⁰ λύμη βίου ¹⁰³¹

mvp-comment-676-1 οὑπαρήξων ¹⁰³²

mvp-comment-677-1 προὔθηκας ¹⁰³³

mvp-comment-678-1 ποτέ ¹⁰³⁴ ἐμέ ¹⁰³⁵ νύν μ’ ¹⁰³⁶

mvp-comment-679-1 τοῖσι σοῖς ¹⁰³⁷ τοῖς ἴσοις ¹⁰³⁸

mvp-comment-679-2 The word ξυγγενὴς ¹⁰³⁹ τοῖσι σοῖς ¹⁰⁴⁰ τοῖς ἴσοις ¹⁰⁴¹

mvp-comment-680-1 τὸ τῶνδε ¹⁰⁴²

mvp-comment-681-1 νυν ¹⁰⁴³

mvp-comment-682-1 πιθοῦ ¹⁰⁴⁴ πείθου ¹⁰⁴⁵

mvp-comment-683-1 πρὸς γενείου ¹⁰⁴⁶

mvp-comment-683-2 The reading of the MSS., μ<*> )ξέλη ¹⁰⁴⁷ μ’ ἐξέλῃ ¹⁰⁴⁸

mvp-comment-683-3 ἐξέλῃ ¹⁰⁴⁹

mvp-comment-683-4 τὰ φίλτατα ¹⁰⁵⁰

mvp-comment-684-1 οὐ φήμ’ ἐάσειν ¹⁰⁵¹

mvp-comment-684-2 The division of the trimeter (

) marks agitation, as again in 1220—1226, 1323, etc. Cp. also O. T. 627 , O. C. 722 , Ph. 54 , etc.

mvp-comment-684-3 τάλαιν’ ἐγὼ σέθεν ¹⁰⁵²

mvp-comment-685-1 εἰ στερήσομαι ¹⁰⁵³

mvp-comment-686-1 ὦ φίλτατον φῶς ¹⁰⁵⁴

mvp-comment-687-1 ὦ φθέγμ’ ¹⁰⁵⁵

mvp-comment-687-2 μηκέτ’ ἄλλοθεν πύθῃ ¹⁰⁵⁶

mvp-comment-688-1 ἔχω … ἔχοις ἀεί ¹⁰⁵⁷

mvp-comment-689-1 πολίτιδες ¹⁰⁵⁸

mvp-comment-690-1 μηχαναῖσι ¹⁰⁵⁹

mvp-comment-690-2 σεσωσμένον ¹⁰⁶⁰

mvp-comment-691-1 συμφοραῖσι ¹⁰⁶¹

mvp-comment-691-2 γεγηθὸς … δάκρυον ¹⁰⁶²

mvp-comment-692-1 A

between Electra and Orestes. Strophe, 1232—1352,=antistr. 1253—1272 (a verse being lost after 1264). Epode, 1273— 1287. For metres see Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-693-1 γοναὶ σωμάτων ¹⁰⁶³

mvp-comment-694-1 ἀρτίως ¹⁰⁶⁴

mvp-comment-694-2 οὓς ¹⁰⁶⁵

mvp-comment-694-3 ἐχρήζετε ¹⁰⁶⁶

mvp-comment-695-1 σῖγ’ ἔχουσα ¹⁰⁶⁷

mvp-comment-696-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ μὰ ¹⁰⁶⁸

mvp-comment-696-2 τὴν ἄδμητον ¹⁰⁶⁹

mvp-comment-696-3 Ἄρτεμιν ¹⁰⁷⁰

mvp-comment-697-1 τόδε μὲν … ὂν ἀεί ¹⁰⁷¹

mvp-comment-697-2 περισσὸν ἄχθος ¹⁰⁷²

mvp-comment-697-3 ἔνδον … ὂν ἀεί ¹⁰⁷³

mvp-comment-698-1 γε μὲν δὴ ¹⁰⁷⁴

mvp-comment-698-2 Ἄρης ¹⁰⁷⁵

mvp-comment-698-3 εὖ δ’ ἔξοισθα ¹⁰⁷⁶

mvp-comment-699-1 ἀνέφελον … κακόν ¹⁰⁷⁷

mvp-comment-699-2 The author of the scholium on 1245 read ἐνέβαλες ¹⁰⁷⁸ ἐπέβαλες ¹⁰⁷⁹ ὑπέβαλες ¹⁰⁸⁰

mvp-comment-699-3 καταλύσιμον ¹⁰⁸¹

mvp-comment-699-4 λησόμενον ¹⁰⁸²

mvp-comment-699-5 The usual explanation is, ‘that cannot be forgotten’; but

is nowhere passive. There is, indeed, no classical fut. pass. of , for ( ) occurs only in later Greek (LXX. Ps. ix. 19 , etc.). Even =‘will forget,’ Eur. Alc. 198. — could mean, ‘that cannot escape notice’; for, though the act. is more usual in this sense ( Soph. Tr. 455 , Il. 23. 416 ), the midd. is so used by Hippocrates (2. 170), Arist. ( Pr. Anal. 2. 19), Lucian, etc. But here, especially after , such a sense would evidently be too weak.

mvp-comment-700-1 ἔξοιδα καὶ ταῦτ’ ¹⁰⁸³ καὶ ¹⁰⁸⁴

mvp-comment-700-2 παρουσία ¹⁰⁸⁵ φράζῃ ¹⁰⁸⁶ ἔργων τῶνδε ¹⁰⁸⁷

mvp-comment-700-3 The scholia attest

as the traditional reading, and suggest two explanations. (1) : i.e., = , the circumstances of the moment. Cp. cum res ipsa feret. (2) . Here is evidently neuter, and the meaning is, ‘when these topics come before us,’—when it is the fitting time to discuss them. Neither view is satisfactory.

mvp-comment-700-4 The v.l. παρρησία ¹⁰⁸⁸ φράζῃ ¹⁰⁸⁹

mvp-comment-701-1 ὁ πᾶς … χρόνος ¹⁰⁹⁰ παρὼν ¹⁰⁹¹ δίκᾳ ¹⁰⁹² ἐννέπειν ¹⁰⁹³ πρέποι ¹⁰⁹⁴

mvp-comment-701-2 μόλις γὰρ ¹⁰⁹⁵ ἔσχον ¹⁰⁹⁶

mvp-comment-702-1 σῴζου τόδε ¹⁰⁹⁷

mvp-comment-703-1 μακρὰν … λέγειν ¹⁰⁹⁸

mvp-comment-704-1 τίς οὖν ¹⁰⁹⁹ ἀξίαν ¹¹⁰⁰ σοῦ πεφηνότος ¹¹⁰¹ λόγων ¹¹⁰² μεταβάλοιτ’ ¹¹⁰³

mvp-comment-704-2 <*>δε ¹¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-704-3 1264 After τότ’ εἶδες ¹¹⁰⁵ ὅτε ¹¹⁰⁶ εὖτε ¹¹⁰⁷ ὅτε ¹¹⁰⁸ θεοὶ ¹¹⁰⁹ ὅτε ¹¹¹⁰ τότ’ ¹¹¹¹

mvp-comment-704-4 ἐπώτρυναν ¹¹¹²

mvp-comment-705-1 χάριτος ¹¹¹³

mvp-comment-705-2 ἐπόρισεν ¹¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-706-1 δαιμόνιον ¹¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-706-2 τίθημ’ ¹¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-706-3 Electra remembers the warning dream (417 ff.), in which she had already surmised a supernatural agency (411: 459). It is indeed

that Orestes, sent by Apollo, should arrive at this moment.

mvp-comment-706-4 The punctuation given in the text seems best. The Aldine has only a comma after

: but then we should need a colon after .

mvp-comment-707-1 τὰ μὲν … τὰ δὲ ¹¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-708-1 ὁδὸν … φανῆναι ¹¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-709-1 τί μὴ ποήσω ¹¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-710-1 μή μ’ ἀποστερήσῃς … ἁδονὰν ¹¹²⁰

mvp-comment-710-2 μεθέσθαι ¹¹²¹

mvp-comment-711-1 ξυναινεῖς ¹¹²²

mvp-comment-711-2 τί μὴν οὔ ¹¹²³

mvp-comment-712-1 ὦ φίλαι ¹¹²⁴ ὦ φίλ’, ὅτ’ ¹¹²⁵ φίλαι ¹¹²⁶

mvp-comment-712-2 αὐδάν ¹¹²⁷ οὐδ’ ἂν ἤλπις’ ¹¹²⁸

mvp-comment-712-3 1283 f. There can be no doubt that something has been lost before ἔσχον ¹¹²⁹ οὐδ’ ἂν ¹¹³⁰ ὁρμὰν ¹¹³¹

mvp-comment-712-4

in Sophocles means either (1) ‘anger,’ or (2) ‘disposition’: Ant. 875 : ib. 355 : Ai. 639 . Neither sense can be fitted into any probable interpretation. Some have supposed the meaning to be that Electra ‘restrained her anger in silence,’ when Clyt. was exulting in the death of Orestes; but, in fact, her anger found a voice (see 792). Others understand that she ‘restrained her emotion’ (of grief), on hearing the sad news; but she did not do so (see 823—870): nor could mean ‘emotion’ in that sense.

mvp-comment-712-5 On the other hand

and were easily confused in MSS. Thus in Tr. 720 , where is right, has been written over in L, and is actually the reading of A, and of the Aldine. Cp. also O. T. 337.

mvp-comment-712-6 The context is the best guide to the sense which should be restored. Through out these lyrics, Orestes has been endeavouring to repress Electra's cries, lest she should be overheard (1236, 1238, 1251 f., 1257, 1259, 1271 f.). The corrupt words probably referred to this. ὁρμὰν ¹¹³²

mvp-comment-712-7 οὐδ’ ἂν ἔσχον ¹¹³³ ἄναυδον ¹¹³⁴

mvp-comment-712-8 Other interpretations and conjectures will be found in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-713-1 τάλαινα ¹¹³⁵

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 ¹¹³⁶

mvp-comment-715-1 καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ¹¹³⁷

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 ¹¹³⁸ δόμων ¹¹³⁹ ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δ’ ἐκχεῖ ¹¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-716-2 ἐκχεῖ ¹¹⁴¹ διασπείρει μάτην ¹¹⁴² ἀντλεῖ ¹¹⁴³

mvp-comment-717-1 χρόνου … καιρὸν ¹¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-717-2 ἐξείργοι ¹¹⁴⁵

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 ¹¹⁴⁶ κεκρυμμένοι ¹¹⁴⁷ γελῶντας ¹¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-719-1 οὕτω δὲ ¹¹⁴⁹ ὅπως ¹¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-719-2 )πιγνώσεται ¹¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-719-3 νῷν ¹¹⁵²

mvp-comment-719-4 ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους ¹¹⁵³

mvp-comment-720-1 μάτην ¹¹⁵⁴ μὴ ¹¹⁵⁵ τῇ ¹¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-720-2 εὐτυχησωμεν ¹¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-721-1 καὶ σοὶ ¹¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-721-2 ὧδ’ … τῇδε ¹¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-721-3 τοὐμὸν ¹¹⁶⁰ φίλον ¹¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-722-1 κοὐκ ἐμὰς ¹¹⁶²

mvp-comment-723-1 κοὐδ’ ¹¹⁶³ βραχὺ ¹¹⁶⁴ καὶ ¹¹⁶⁵ λυπήσασα ¹¹⁶⁶ δεξαίμην ¹¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-724-1 ὑπηρετοίην ¹¹⁶⁸ ὑπηρετοίμην ¹¹⁶⁹ δαίμονι ¹¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-725-1 τἀνθένδε ¹¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-726-1 στέγας ¹¹⁷² οἴκοις ¹¹⁷³

mvp-comment-726-2 δείσῃς … ὡς … ὄψεται ¹¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-727-1 ἐντέτηκε ¹¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-728-1 χαρᾷ ¹¹⁷⁶ χαρᾶς ¹¹⁷⁷ δακρυρροοῦσα ¹¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-729-1 ἥτις ¹¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-729-2 ἐσεῖδον ¹¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-729-3 ᾶσκοπα ¹¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-730-1 ὅτε ¹¹⁸²

mvp-comment-730-2 τοιαύτην ¹¹⁸³

mvp-comment-730-3 ὥς σοι ¹¹⁸⁴ ὡς σοὶ ¹¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-731-1 οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον ¹¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-732-1 σιγᾶν … χωροῦντος ¹¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-732-2 ἐπῄνες’ ¹¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-732-3 ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ ¹¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-732-4 τῶν ἔνδοθεν ¹¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-733-1 ἄλλως τε καὶ φέροντες ¹¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-733-2 οἷ’ ἂν … ἀπώσαιτ’ ¹¹⁹²

mvp-comment-734-1 τητώμενοι ¹¹⁹³

mvp-comment-734-2 παρ’ οὐδὲν ¹¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-735-1 οὐ παρ’ αὐτοῖς ¹¹⁹⁵ αὐτοῖς ¹¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-736-1 σταθμοῖσι ¹¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-737-1 ὑμὶν … ὑμῶν ¹¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-737-2 τὰ δρώμεν’ ¹¹⁹⁹ τὰ σώματα ¹²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-738-1 νῦν δ’ … καὶ νῦν ¹²⁰¹

mvp-comment-739-1 σὺν χαρᾷ βοῆς ¹²⁰²

mvp-comment-740-1 ἀπηλλάχθαι ¹²⁰³

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 ¹²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-742-1 ὑπάρχει ¹²⁰⁵ σε … τινά ¹²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-743-1 ὡς ἔοικεν, ὡς τεθν ¹²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-744-1 εἷς τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου … ἀνήρ ¹²⁰⁸ ἐνθάδε ¹²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-745-1 χαίρουσιν οὖν τούτοισιν ¹²¹⁰ ἐν ¹²¹¹ οὖν ¹²¹²

mvp-comment-746-1 τελουμένων ¹²¹³

mvp-comment-746-2 ὡς δὲ νῦν ἔχει ¹²¹⁴ τὰ κείνων πάντα καλῶς ¹²¹⁵ καὶ τὰ μὴ καλῶς ¹²¹⁶

mvp-comment-747-1 οὐχὶ ξυνίης ¹²¹⁷

mvp-comment-747-2 οὐδέ γ’ εἰς θυμὸν φέρω ¹²¹⁸ οὐδέ ¹²¹⁹

mvp-comment-748-1 ποίῳ ¹²²⁰ ὅτῳ ¹²²¹ οἶσθα ¹²²²

mvp-comment-748-2 οὗ … χεροῖν ¹²²³

mvp-comment-748-3 πέδον ¹²²⁴

mvp-comment-748-4 ὑπεξεπέμφθην ¹²²⁵

mvp-comment-748-5 σῇ προμηθίᾳ ¹²²⁶

mvp-comment-749-1 προσηῦρον πιστὸν ¹²²⁷

mvp-comment-750-1 φῶς ¹²²⁸

mvp-comment-751-1 τόνδε κἄμ’ ¹²²⁹

mvp-comment-751-2 ἔσωσας ¹²³⁰ κεῖνος ¹²³¹

mvp-comment-752-1 ὦ … χεῖρες ¹²³²

mvp-comment-753-1 οὐδ’ ἔφαινες ¹²³³ ἀλλά με ¹²³⁴

mvp-comment-754-1 ἔργ’ ἔχων ¹²³⁵ ἐμοί ¹²³⁶ με ¹²³⁷

mvp-comment-755-1 πατέρα ¹²³⁸ χαῖῤ, ὦ πάτερ ¹²³⁹ πατέρα ¹²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-756-1 τοὺς … ἐν μέσῳ λόγους ¹²⁴¹

mvp-comment-756-2 The acc. τοὺς … λόγους ¹²⁴² ταῦτα ¹²⁴³

mvp-comment-756-3 κυκλοῦνται ¹²⁴⁴ κυκλοῦσι ¹²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-757-1 σφῷν δ’ ἐννέπω γε ¹²⁴⁶ γε ¹²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-758-1 τούτοις ¹²⁴⁸ ἄλλοισι ¹²⁴⁹ σοφωτέροις ¹²⁵⁰ τούτων ¹²⁵¹

mvp-comment-758-2 Another view is that

in 1369 refers to Aegisthus and his armed followers, while τούτοις ¹²⁵²

mvp-comment-759-1 οὐδὲν ¹²⁵³

mvp-comment-760-1 πατρῷα ¹²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-760-2 ἕδη ¹²⁵⁵ πρόπυλα ¹²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-760-3 προσκύσαντε ¹²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-761-1 ἀφ’ ὧν ¹²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-761-2 ἔχοιμι ¹²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-761-3 λιπαρεῖ ¹²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-761-4 Blaydes and Wecklein read )πέστην ¹²⁶¹

mvp-comment-762-1 ἐξ οἵων ἔχω ¹²⁶² αἰτῶ ¹²⁶³

mvp-comment-762-2 1380 I read προπίπτω ¹²⁶⁴ προπίτνω ¹²⁶⁵ ι^ ¹²⁶⁶ ι— ¹²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-763-1 τἀπιτίμια ¹²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-764-1 ἴδεθ’ ¹²⁶⁹ ὅπου ¹²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-764-2 προνέμεται ¹²⁷¹

mvp-comment-764-3 Campbell suggests that the image in

is from fire ‘eating its way’ forward, and compares Her. 5. 101 . This hardly agrees so well with the idea of a stealthy advance.

mvp-comment-765-1 τὸ δυσέριστον αἷμα ¹²⁷²

mvp-comment-765-2 φυσῶν ¹²⁷³

mvp-comment-766-1 δωμάτων ὑπόστεγοι ¹²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-767-1 μετάδρομοι … κύνες ¹²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-768-1 ἀμμενεῖ ¹²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-769-1 τοὐμὸν φρενῶν ὄνειρον ¹²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-769-2 αἰωρούμενον ¹²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-770-1 ἐνέρων … ἀρωγός ¹²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-771-1 ἀρχαιόπλουτα ¹²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-772-1 νεακόνητον αἷμα χειροῖν ἔχων ¹²⁸¹

mvp-comment-772-2 The bold use of αἷμα ¹²⁸² χειροῖν ἔχων ¹²⁸³ αἷμα ¹²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-772-3 If νεάκονητον ¹²⁸⁵ α ¹²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-773-1 ὁ Μαίας δὲ παῖς ¹²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-773-2 Ἑρμῆς σφ’ ἄγει ¹²⁸⁸ ς ¹²⁸⁹ σφ’ ¹²⁹⁰

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 ¹²⁹¹

mvp-comment-776-1 τάφον ¹²⁹²

mvp-comment-776-2 λέβητα ¹²⁹³

mvp-comment-776-3 κοσμεῖ ¹²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-777-1 αἰαῖ· ἰὼ στέγαι ¹²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-778-1 ἀνήκουστα ¹²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-779-1 ἰδού ¹²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-779-2 μάλ’ αὖ ¹²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-780-1 ἐκ σέθεν ¹²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-780-2 ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ ¹³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-780-3 1413 f. The traditional reading φθίνει φθίνει ¹³⁰¹ σε ¹³⁰² σοι ¹³⁰³ μοῖρα καθαμερία ¹³⁰⁴ φθίνει ¹³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-780-4 Others explain as follows. (1) Keeping both σε ¹³⁰⁶ φθίνει φθίνει ¹³⁰⁷ σε ¹³⁰⁸ φθίνειν φθίνειν ¹³⁰⁹

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 ¹³¹⁰

mvp-comment-780-8 εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ γ’ ὁμοῦ ¹³¹¹

mvp-comment-781-1 τελοῦς ἀραί ¹³¹²

mvp-comment-781-2 οἱ … κείμενοι ¹³¹³

mvp-comment-781-3 ὑπαὶ ¹³¹⁴

mvp-comment-782-1 παλίρρυτον ¹³¹⁵

mvp-comment-782-2 ὑπεξαιροῦσι ¹³¹⁶

mvp-comment-783-1 καὶ μὴν ¹³¹⁷

mvp-comment-783-2 στάζει θυηλῆς ¹³¹⁸

mvp-comment-783-3 ψέγειν ¹³¹⁹ λέγειν ¹³²⁰

mvp-comment-784-1 κυρεῖτε ¹³²¹ κυρεῖ ¹³²² κυρεῖ δὲ ¹³²³

mvp-comment-785-1 ἐθέσπισεν ¹³²⁴

mvp-comment-786-1 ἐκφοβοῦ … ὡς ¹³²⁵ λῆμα ¹³²⁶

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 ¹³²⁷

mvp-comment-787-1 ἐκ προδήλου ¹³²⁸

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 ¹³²⁹ οὐκ ἄψορρον ¹³³⁰

mvp-comment-789-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ¹³³¹

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 ¹³³²

mvp-comment-791-1 βᾶτε κατ’ ἀντιθύρων ¹³³³

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’ ¹³³⁴

mvp-comment-791-4 βᾶτε κάταντα θυρῶν’ ¹³³⁵

mvp-comment-792-1 εὖ θέμενοι ¹³³⁶

mvp-comment-792-2 τάδ’ ὡς πάλιν ¹³³⁷

mvp-comment-793-1 ᾗ νοεῖς ¹³³⁸

mvp-comment-793-2 The ground for giving the words ᾗ νοεῖς ¹³³⁹ τελοῦμεν ¹³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-794-1 καὶ δὴ βέβηκα ¹³⁴¹

mvp-comment-795-1 These verses are antistrophic to 1417—1421. δἰ ὠτὸς ¹³⁴²

mvp-comment-795-2 ὡς ἠπίως ¹³⁴³

mvp-comment-795-3 λαθραῖον ¹³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-796-1 ναυαγίοις ¹³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-797-1 σέ τοι ¹³⁴⁶ κρίνω ¹³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-798-1 συμφορᾶς ¹³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-798-2 Possibly this is the only ambiguity intended. But

might be genitive of , ‘ the most welcome fortune of my kindred,’— i.e., ‘my brother's return.’ Cp. 1273 | . To intend this as an inner meaning would certainly be quite in the manner of Sophocles; cp. O. T. 337 | .—For other views, see Appendix.

mvp-comment-799-1 φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν ¹³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-800-1 ἦ καὶ ¹³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-800-2 ὡς ἐτητύμως ¹³⁵¹

mvp-comment-801-1 οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν ¹³⁵² οὐ λόγῳ μόνον ¹³⁵³ οὔκ ¹³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-802-1 πάρεστ’ ¹³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-802-2 ὥστε ¹³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-802-3 κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν ¹³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-803-1 πάρεστι δῆτα ¹³⁵⁸ δῆτα ¹³⁵⁹ καὶ μάλ’ ¹³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-804-1 ἦ πολλὰ χαίρειν μ’ εἶπας ¹³⁶¹

mvp-comment-804-2 1457 While τυγχάνοι ¹³⁶² τυγχάνει ¹³⁶³

mvp-comment-805-1 κἀναδεικνύναι πύλας ¹³⁶⁴

mvp-comment-806-1 Μυκηναίοισιν ¹³⁶⁵ Ἀργείοις ¹³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-806-2 πᾶσιν ¹³⁶⁷

mvp-comment-807-1 ἐλπίσιν … ἀνδρὸς ¹³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-808-1 στόμια ¹³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-808-2 φύσῃ φρένας ¹³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-809-1 καὶ δὴ ¹³⁷¹ τἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ¹³⁷²

mvp-comment-809-2 τελεῖται ¹³⁷³

mvp-comment-809-3 τῷ … χρόνῳ ¹³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-809-4 συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν ¹³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-809-5 As Electra utters these words, the central doors are opened, and the eccyclema is pushed forward. This was a small and low stage. A corpse is seen upon it, the face and outlines concealed by a covering. Near it stand Orestes and Pylades—the ‘Phocians’ whom Aegisthus seeks. The eccyclema remains displayed to the end, and at v. 1507 Orestes and Pylades go out behind it. So in the Antigone the eccyclema is in view from 1293 to the close, and at 1347 Creon is led off behind it.

mvp-comment-809-6 The corpse here is an effigy, like that of Haemon in Ant. 1261 ff. The deuteragonist, who had played Clytaemnestra, is now playing Orestes.

mvp-comment-810-1 δέδορκα φάσμ’ ¹³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-810-2 The invocation, ὦ Ζεῦ ¹³⁷⁷ φθόνου ¹³⁷⁸ φάσμα ¹³⁷⁹ δέδορκα ¹³⁸⁰ πεπτωκός ¹³⁸¹

mvp-comment-810-3 ἔπεστι ¹³⁸²

mvp-comment-810-4 νέμεσις ¹³⁸³

mvp-comment-810-5 οὐ λέγω ¹³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-810-6 Aegisthus corrects himself with hypocritical piety; it is as if he said, ‘but it is not for me to judge my fellow-mortal.’

mvp-comment-811-1 τὸ συγγενές ¹³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-811-2 τοι ¹³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-811-3 κἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ¹³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-811-4 θρήνων τύψῃ ¹³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-812-1 βάσταζ’ ¹³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-812-2 οὐκ ἐμὸν ¹³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-812-3 ταῦθ’ ¹³⁹¹

mvp-comment-812-4 προσηγορεῖν φίλως ¹³⁹²

mvp-comment-813-1 σὺ δέ ¹³⁹³

mvp-comment-813-2 εἴ που κατ’ οἶκόν μοι ¹³⁹⁴ μοι ¹³⁹⁵ κάλει ¹³⁹⁶