Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1535

1535. mvp-comment-817-1 τις is a vague subject, with allusion to Theseus and Athens. Cp. Thuc. 2.2, εἰ μή τις προκαταλήψεται: ἱ. ε. εἰ μὴ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι καταλήψονται. The allusion to Athens accounts for εὐ οἰκῇ, which is properly applicable to a city. an A καθύβρισαν] καθυβρίζω is generally found in construction with accusative or genitive. Hence it has probably here an implied object which is most easily supplied from τις. city, no matter where, may lightly insult even one who dwells circumspectly.' Oedipus again touches lightly on the apparent improbability of Thebes becoming 1535 1540 1540. hostile (supr. 606, foll.), while Athens was governed prudently. ῥᾳδίως = ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου: i.e. Be as politic as you will, you cannot avoid wars with your neighbours. Scholiast, κἂν δικαίως τις πολιτεύηται, πολλαὶ πόλεις ἀδίκως ἐπέρχονται. In the more recent explanations (e.g. Hermann's 'pleraeque civitates, etiam si quis eas bene regat, proclives sunt ad temeritatem') καθύβρισαν is made equivalent to ἐξύβρισαν. For ὕβριs of a city, cp. Thuc. 3. 39, εἴωθε δὲ τῶν πόλεων αἷς ἂν μάλιστα καὶ δι᾽ ἐλαχίστου ἀπροσδόκητος εὐπραξία ἔλθῃ, ἐς ὕβριν τρέπειν.