1045.
mvp-comment-721-1
Cp. Ant. 471, 2,
δηλοῖ τὸ γέννημ' ὠμὸν ἐξ ὠμοῦ πατρὸς | τῆς παιδός· εἴκειν δ᾽ οὐκ ἐπίσταται κακοῖς. For the hypallage in
φάτιν.. ὑπείκουσαν,
cp. O. C. 977,
πῶς *δἂν τὸ γ' ἶκον πρᾶγμ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως ψέγοις;
1048.
mvp-comment-722-1
εἴ μοι παρείκοι] Sc.
τὸ πρᾶγμα ὥστε πολλὰ λέγειν. 'Did but my leisure serve me.'
νῦν δ᾽ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου] 'But, as it is, I have only one thing to say.' This refers to
infr. 1054 foll. 'All I can now say is that we need not take him, if he will not come. The bow is enough.' Odysseus means that this is not the time for justifying his act. He will do and say only what is necessary for his end. When the plea of justice is required, arguments will not fail him.
κρατῶ has been suspected. The nearest parallel to it is O. T. 409,
τοῦδε γὰρ κἀγὼ κρατῶ.
1049.
mvp-comment-723-1
τοιούτων .. τοιοῦτος have here a general meaning, and
τοιούτων may be either (1) neuter, or (2) masculine. (1) 'Where this or that line of conduct is required, I follow that course;' or (2) 'Where this or that character is needed, I am of that character.'
Cp. Plato, Rep. 4.429 B, 437 E, Phaedr. 271 D; Eur. Or. 1680 (
ΜΕ. πείθεσθαι χρεών.)
ΟΡ. κἀγὼ τοιοῦτος (sc.
τῇ γνώμῃ εἰμὶ ὥστε πείθεσθαι). Others suppose a vague reference to the accusation of injustice in Philoctetes' speech.
1050-1051.
mvp-comment-724-1
Cp. supr. 83-5.
1052-1053.
mvp-comment-725-1
νικᾶν γε . ἐκστήσομαι] 'However, while in all other cases I am certainly solicitous to overcome, I make an exception in regard to you. On the contrary, I am willing to let you have your way.' The paratactic structure (
cp. supr. 1043) assists the surprise in
πλὴν εἰς σέ, which is thus brought in suddenly.
σοί γ᾽]
γε reaffirms
εἰς σε with ironical courtesy.
1054.
mvp-comment-726-1
ἄφετε]
Cp. supr. 1003.
1055.
mvp-comment-727-1
προσχρήζομεν]
προσ-, 'in addition.'
1056.
mvp-comment-728-1
μέν] 'If no one else.'
1057.
mvp-comment-729-1
Cp. Od. 8. 219, where Odysseus boasts that he is second to none but Philoctetes in the use of the bow, and contrast Aj. 1120,
ὁ τοξότης ἔοικεν οὐ σμικρὸν φρονεῖν. It is necessary to the plot of the Philoctetes that skill in archery should be spoken of with respect, as in heroic times, whereas Menelaus in the Ajax expresses the contempt of a hoplite of the time of Pericles for the light-armed bowman.
1058.
mvp-comment-730-1
ἐγώ θ'] 'And I too.' 'Post
πόρεστι μὲν Τεύκρος sequi dedebat
πάρειμι δ' ἐγώ, pro quo mutata orationis forma
ἐγώ τε illatum est, quia hoc sine verbo positum est.' Dindorf.
E. on L. § 36. p. 65.
Cp. infr. 1424-8.
ὃς οἶμαι, κ.τ.λ.] The bow of Odysseus is not less famous than that of Heracles. See Introd. to Trachiniae.
1058-1059.
mvp-comment-731-1
οὐδὲν .. μηδ']
οὐ belongs strictly to
οἶμαι, as in
οὗ φημι, οὐ φαίνεται, etc.
μή is to be taken closely with the infinitive, which receives an hypothetical turn from
av preceding. Wunder quotes Plat. Prot. 319 Β,
ὅθεν δὲ αὐτὸ ἡγοῦμαι οὐ διδακτὸν εἶναι μηδ' ὑπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων παρασκευστὸν ἀνθρώποις, δίκαιός εἰμι εἰπεῖν, but
οὐ there rather adheres to
διδακτόν. The repetition of the negative is here emphatic.
1060.
mvp-comment-732-1
Cp. supr. 2, and note.
1062.
mvp-comment-733-1
ἣν σ᾽ ἐχρῆν ἔχειν] Here, as above in 997, 8, Odysseus alludes to the prophecy, of which, however, Philoctetes has not been told. He was too impatient to listen to Neoptolemus,
supr. 919, 20.
1064.
mvp-comment-734-1
For the absence of caesura in this line,
cp. infr. 1369.
1066-1067.
mvp-comment-735-1
φωνῆς .. προσφθεγκτός] The pleonasm is pathetic. 'Shall I no more hear your voice addressing me?' Philoctetes, who
supr. 220 foll. was overjoyed at the sight of Greeks, and longed to hear them speak, is now being left in tenfold desolation. He still clings to his hope in Neoptolemus, and makes a last appeal to the mariners, who, 507 foll., 676 foll., had shown some pity for him.
