mvp-comment-619-1 παλαιὸν ἄλγημ’ ¹

mvp-comment-619-2 ὑπέμνασας ²

mvp-comment-619-3 τῶν πρὶν ἐντόπων ³

mvp-comment-620-1 ὤλεσας ⁴

mvp-comment-620-2 εἴργασαι ⁵

mvp-comment-621-1 τί τοῦτ’ ἔλεξας ⁶ εἰ … ἤλπισας ⁷

mvp-comment-621-2 ἄξειν ⁸

mvp-comment-622-1 ἀπό … λείπετ’ ⁹

mvp-comment-622-2 νυν ¹⁰ νοῶ ¹¹

mvp-comment-623-1 φίλα μοι … παρήγγειλας ἑκόντι τε πράσσειν ¹² τε ¹³ ἑκόντι ¹⁴ ἑκόντα ¹⁵ τε ¹⁶

mvp-comment-624-1 ναὸς ¹⁷ ἵν’ ἡμῖν τέτακται ¹⁸

mvp-comment-625-1 ἀραίου Διός ¹⁹

mvp-comment-625-2 ἔλθῃς ²⁰

mvp-comment-625-3 1183 The older edd. give μετρίαζε ²¹ μετρίαζ’ ²²

mvp-comment-626-1 δαίμων ²³

mvp-comment-627-1 ὦ ποὺς πούς ²⁴

mvp-comment-627-2 τί σε τεύξω ²⁵

mvp-comment-627-3 μετόπιν ²⁶

mvp-comment-628-1 ἔλθετ’ ἐπήλυδες ²⁷ αὖθις ²⁸

mvp-comment-629-1 τί ῥέξοντες ²⁹ γνώμᾳ ἀλλοκότῳ τῶν πάρος ³⁰ ὧν ³¹ προὔφαινες ³²

mvp-comment-629-2 The objection to the plausible conjecture ῥέξοντος ³³

mvp-comment-630-1 οὔτοι νεμεσητόν ³⁴

mvp-comment-630-2 ἀλύοντα ³⁵

mvp-comment-630-3 χειμερίῳ ³⁶

mvp-comment-630-4 καὶ παρὰ νοῦν θροεῖν ³⁷

mvp-comment-631-1 οὐδ’ εἰ πυρφόρος ἀστεροπητὴς ³⁸

mvp-comment-631-2 βροντᾶς αὐγαῖς ³⁹

mvp-comment-631-3 εἶσι φλογίζων ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-632-1 ἐρρέτω Ἴλιον ⁴¹

mvp-comment-632-2 οἵ θ’ ὑπ’ ἐκείνῳ ⁴²

mvp-comment-632-3 τόδ’ ἐμοῦ ποδὸς ἄρθρον ⁴³ ἀπῶσαι ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-633-1 ἀλλ’ ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-633-2 ὀρέξατε ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-634-1 ἐρεῖς ⁴⁷ εἴ ποθεν ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-634-2 γένυν ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-634-3 προπέμψατε ⁵⁰ εἴ ποθεν ⁵¹

mvp-comment-635-1 ὡς τίνα δὴ ῥέξῃς ⁵²

mvp-comment-635-2 παλάμαν ⁵³

mvp-comment-635-3 1207 *

, Hermann's correction of κρᾶτ’ ⁵⁴ Χρῶτα πάντα ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-635-4 If the MS. κρᾶτ’ ⁵⁶ πάντα ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-636-1 φονᾷ ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-636-2 τί ποτε ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-636-3 πατέρα ματεύων ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-636-4 In vv. 492 ff. he had expressed the fear that his aged father must be dead; and here, in the bitterness of despair—when he feels himself utterly friendless upon earth—he utters a yearning to join Poeas in the world below. At brighter moments, again—when there is a gleam of hope that he may return to Malis—he thinks of his father as still living (665, 1371). And Heracles tells him that Poeas is indeed alive (1430).

mvp-comment-637-1 οὐ γὰρ ἐν φάει γ’ ἔτι ⁶¹ ἐν ⁶²

mvp-comment-638-1 ὦ πόλις ⁶³

mvp-comment-639-1 πῶς ἂν ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-639-2 ἄθλιός γ’ ἀνήρ ⁶⁵ γε ⁶⁶ ὅς ⁶⁷ ἄθλιος ⁶⁸ εἰσίδοιμί ς’ ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-640-1 ἱερὰν λιβάδ’ ⁷⁰ ἐχθροῖς ⁷¹

mvp-comment-640-2 ἔτ’ οὐδέν εἰμι ⁷²

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-1 Philoctetes now feels that he is left completely alone and helpless. For the shipmates of Neoptolemus are only to remain for a little while, in the vain hope that he will change his mind. The following commos may be divided into two chief portions. The first, 1081-1160, is in effect one long monody of Philoctetes from the stage, of which the pauses are filled with short recitatives addressed to him by single chorcutae. Without noticing these, he continues the strain of his lament. In the second part, 1161-1217, there is a real interchange of lyric numbers between the Chorus and the chief actor. Still chanting singly, the mariners renew their efforts to win his attention. When they succeed in this, he bids them depart. They make as if to go. Then he calls them back again and begs for means of self-destruction. The commos ends on the re-appearance of Neoptolemus followed by Odysseus. It is evident that the second part of it especially must have been accompanied with various gestures and movements to and fro in the orchestra. The 'melodramatic' character of this portion of the Philoctetes (ll. 730-1217) may be compared with the opening of the Oedipus Coloneus. The metrical scheme (in which again there are several doubtful points) is as follows :- α'.
(1.)
_ _ _ _ _UU_
__UU_U_ _
_ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
_UU_UU_UU_UU_
(?)_U_U_U_
(2.)
_UU_UU_UU_U_ _
^{1 2}
_ Iambic.
_UU_U_ Glyconic.
Glyconic _UU_U_
Dactylic { _UU_UU_
Iambic _U_U_ _ _
β'.
(1.)
_ _ _ _
__UU_U_ _
__UU_U_ _
_UU_UU_U_
_ _
10 _UU_UU_
(2) _U_U_ _
_U_UU_U_UU__
_U__UU_U_U_U_UU_
15 _UU_U_U_UU_UU_UU_U__ ³
(2.)
__UU_U_U__
_ _ _ _ _UU_
_ _ _ _ _UU_
_U_UU__
U_ _U_UU_U_U__
^{4 5 6}

ἐπ. (ἀπολελυμένα).
(1.)
_U_U_
_ _U_U_U_U_U_U_U_
_U_U_U_
_ _ _ _
_U_UU__UU__UU__
_ _
_ _UU_UUUUUU ⁷
_U_U_ _U_U_
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _UU_U_
__UU_U_U_
20 U_U_U_
U_UU_UU_
_U_U_U_U_U_U_U_U_
_UU_U_
(2.)
_UU_UU_U_
_ _ _U_UU__
_ _ _ _ _U__
_UU_U_U_UUUUU__
_ _ _
30 U_U_U_U_
_UU_U_
_ _U_U_U_U_
_U_U__U_U_
35 U_U_U_

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-2 In antistrophe _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-3 2 Or, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Cp. β' (2), ll. 2, 3.

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-4 3

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-5 In antistrophe U_ _ _

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-6 2 In antistrophe U_UU_U__

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-7 3 In antistrophe _ _UU_U_UU_UU_U_U_

1081-1217. mvp-comment-740-8 10

1158. mvp-comment-787-1 The tmesis of ἀπό recurs infr. 1177, 1207; supr. 817.

1159. mvp-comment-788-1 ἐν αὔραις] i. e. With no surroundings but the 'casing' air.

1160. mvp-comment-789-1 πέμπει] 'Ministers,' 'Gives.' Cp. Hdt. 7. 106, τῷ μούνῳ Ξέρξης δῶρα πέμπεσκε. Τhe same notion is resumed in βιόδωρος, ‘Sustenance,' 'Ministering,' 'Sustaining.' For the refinement by which the simple verb is used for the compound ἀναπέμπει, which would be more usual in this connection, see Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, 4.

1161-1168. mvp-comment-790-1 The reciter of these lines, who is probably the coryphaeus, feels hurt at the prolonged indifference of Philoctetes to the presence of the Chorus, and makes a further and successful effort to engage his attention. εἴ τι σέβει ξένον] 'If you reverence anything friendly,' i. e. 'If you have any respect for the kindness of a friend.' πέλασσον.. πελάταν] 'Draw near to him who draws near to thee with the best of good will.' πελάζω here clearly governs the accusative, as in О. С. 1060. The dative of manner follows the verbal noun. ἀλλὰ . . ἀποφεύγειν] 'Yet understand, and be well assured that it devolves on thee to make escape from this calamity.' ἀλλά, as elsewhere, emphasizes entreaty. σοί here, and in О. C. 721, νῦν σοὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ ταῦτα δὴ φαίνειν ἔπη, has an idiomatic force = σὸν ἔργον ἐστίν. The reading in both places has been unnecessarily suspected. For ἔχειν, ‘Το endure,' cp. El. 223, οὐ σχήσω ταύτας ἄτας. For ὅτι σοί Μ. Seyff. conjectures ἐπὶ σοί. 'It is one that is piteous to sustain, and supplies no means of bearing the uncounted sorrows in the midst of which it dwells.' The adjectives belong in meaning, not to the pain, but to the subject of the pain. Cp. Αj. 955, μαινομένοις ἄχεσιν, and note, and for βόσκειν, supr. 313, βόσκων τὴν ἀδηφάγον νόσον.

1170-1172. mvp-comment-791-1 Similar astrophic passages in κομμοί occur in O. C. 207-253, Trach. 863-95. Cp. also El. 1273-87. There are three distinct changes in the rhythm, from iambo-dactylic to logaoedic at l. 1186, from this to dactylic at l. 1196, and again at l. 1210 to the iambo-dactylic. The iambics are plaintive and despairing, the logaoedic measures reflect the same feeling, contending against persuasion, while in the more energetic dactyls the contention rises to the height. For an attempt to distribute the parts amongst the various choreutae, see Chr. Muff's Chorische Technik des Sophocles, Halle, 1877.

1171. mvp-comment-792-1 ὦ λῷστε τῶν πρὶν ἐντόπων] Cp. supr. 317, 8. The παλαιὸν ἄλγημα is rather the threat of taking him to Troy ( supr. l. 915 foll.) than the wound at Chrysa.

1172. mvp-comment-793-1 'Why hast thou destroyed me? What hast thou done to me?'

1173. mvp-comment-794-1 τί τοῦτ᾽.. εἰ, κ.τ.λ.] 'Why speak you so?' '(For grief) to think that,' etc. See Essay on L. § 28. p. 46 , and cp. supr. 376.

1176. mvp-comment-795-1 κράτιστον] Sc. ὄν.

1178. mvp-comment-796-1 πράσσειν depends (1) on παρήγγειλας, (2) on φίλα, (3) on ἑκόντι: φίλα is predicative.

1180. mvp-comment-797-1 ναὸς .. τέτακται] 'To our station on board ship,' i. e. 'Each to his several station.' ναός is partitive genitive of place. The language shows that the moment of sailing is imminent.

1181. mvp-comment-798-1 Philoctetes has just bidden the mariners to depart. He now beseeches them to stay, as they would avoid his curse. They tell him to speak less wildly, and continue to withdraw. In gentler accents, he reiterates his prayer. ἔλθῃς = ἀπέλθῃς, E. on L. § 55. p. 101, 4.

1186. mvp-comment-799-1 δαίμων] Cp. O. T. 1311, ἰώ, δαῖμον, ἵν᾽ ἐξήλλου.

1188-1189. mvp-comment-800-1 τί σ᾽.. τεύξω] 'What shall I make of thee?' i. e. 'How shall I tend, or how endure, my trouble?' τί is an accusative expressing the result of the action of the verb.

1191-1192. mvp-comment-801-1 'To do what, according to a new purpose, strangely altered from the tone of your former words?' They profess to hope that Philoctetes is changing his mind. The construction is πρὸς τὸ σημαινόμενον, as if ῥέξοντες (ἔλθωμεν) had been (κελεύεις ἐλθεῖν) ῥέξοντας. See Essay on L. § 36. p. 64 , and for a similar irregularity, ср. O. T. 1154, 5, οὐχ ὡς τάχος τις τοῦδ᾽ ἀποστρέψει χέρας; ΘΕ. δύστηνος, ἀντὶ τοῦ; τί προσχρήζων μαθεῖν; (Sc. κελεύεις τοῦτο).

1194-1195. mvp-comment-802-1 ἀλύοντα. θροεῖν] 'That one distracted with tempestuous grief, should utter what is at variance with his true interest.' He means that in bidding them depart he had spoken wildly, as grief, not reason, dictated.

1199. mvp-comment-803-1 * βροντᾶς αὐγαῖς] This reading is not certain. * βροντᾶς is confirmed by the absurd note of the Scholiast, γρ. καὶ αὐγαῖς, ταῖς βροντῶν αὐγαῖς, ταῖς κεραννίαις. ἔστι μέντοι λαβεῖν καὶ βροντᾶς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, βροντήσας. But βρονταῖς αὐταῖς is not impossible. For the plur. ср. O. C. 1514.

1201. mvp-comment-804-1 ὅσοι.. ἀπῶσαι] 'Who found it in their hearts to reject this foot of mine;' i.e. 'To make an outcast of one so afflicted as I am.' ποδὸς ἄρθρον] For the periphrasis, cp. supr. 748, εἰς ἄκρον πόδα. The pleonasm of expression implies a sort of pity or fondness of Philoctetes for himself. Cp. supr. 786, 1188, 'This foot of mine.'

1202. mvp-comment-805-1 ὀρέξατε] 'Extend.' A suppliant expression. Cp. Od. 15. 312, Πλάγξομαι, αἴ κέν τις κοτύλην καὶ πύρνον ὀρέξῃ.

1204-1205. mvp-comment-806-1 ξίφος, εἴ ποθεν, ἢ .. προπέμψατε] 'Provide me with sword, or axe, or missile weapon, if there be such anywhere.' εἴ ποθεν is put elliptically for εἴ ποθεν δύνασθε. Cp. esp. Aj. 886, εἴ ποθι.. λεύσσων, and note. For πέμπω in this sense, cp. supr. 1162, infr. 1266. Another possible reading of this place is to delete the comma after ξίφος, and read προπέμψετε.

1206. mvp-comment-807-1 ὡς .. ποτέ] 'That you may put in execution what device?' For ῥέξῃς παλάμαν, cp. supr. 87, τούσδε (sc. λόγους) καὶ πράσσειν στυγῶ.

1207. mvp-comment-808-1 κρᾶτ᾽.. χερί] i.e. (ὡς) ἀποτέμω κρᾶτα καὶ πάντα ἄρθρα χερί. The ὕστερον πρότερον here (see E. on L. § 41. p. 78. ) has a somewhat singular effect to a modern ear. Cp. Αj. 238, κεφαλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν ἄκραν | ῥιπτεῖ θερίσας.

1211. mvp-comment-809-1 ποῖ,.. ἐς ῞Αιδου] ματεύων implies 'going to seek.' Hence ποî and ἐς.

1212. mvp-comment-810-1 Cp. supr. 493 foll.