Sophocles Philoctetes 375

mvp-comment-748-1 εἰ δοκεῖ, στείχωμεν ¹ στείχωμεν ²

mvp-comment-748-2 A reference to the critical note will show how unsatisfactory have been the attempts to alter the words, ὦ γενναῖον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος ³ εἰ δοκεῖ ⁴

mvp-comment-748-3 But the real difficulty in Porson's view arises from a consideration of the whole context. The transition from iambic to trochaic metre marks, as usual, a stirring moment,—here, the moment of setting out for the ship. I<*> seems clear, then, that the words which first announce the departure should open the trochaics, rather than close the iambics. So in Eur. Phoen. 588 , after the iambic dialogue between Iocasta and Eteocles, the first trochaic verse spoken by the latter is the sign that his fatal resolve is taken,—

Cp. also Soph. O. T. 1515 ff.

mvp-comment-749-1 ἀντέρειδε ⁵

1403. mvp-comment-928-1 ἀντέρειδε.. σήν] (1) 'Lean now thy steps on mine.' Sc. τῇ ἐμῇ βάσει. Neoptolemus gives his arm to the lame man. Cp. supr. 893, καὐτὸς ἀντέχου, and note. Others (2) explain ἀντέρειδε, sc. πρὸς τὸ οὖδας, ‘Press thy foot against the ground,' i.e. 'Step firmly.' But although this accords more exactly with the response of Philoctetes, εἰς ὅσον γ᾽ ἐγὼ σθένω, the expression itself in this sense is hardly natural here, and the interpretation given above agrees better with the situation. The idiomatic uses of ἐρείδω, however, are such as to leave it doubtful whether Neoptolemus bids Philoctetes lean upon him, or simply encourages him to move. εἰς ὅσον .. σθένω] If the former interpretation of the first part of the line (1) is right, Philoctetes takes only the general sense, as if it were βάδιζε ἀντερειδόμενος (ἐμοί).