1-116.
mvp-comment-1-1
The scene of the πρόλογος, ll. 1-116, is probably on the north side of Colonus, with Athens in the distance. See Introduction, p. 282. The spot so familiar to the audience (οὐ λόγοις τιμώμεν' ἀλλὰ τῇ συνουσίᾳ, infr. 63-64) would probably be recalled by the representation on the stage of some striking objects, especially those which marked the
religio loci. Oedipus enters (right?), led by Antigone, and sits down in the middle of the proscenium, where he remains until Antigone descries the approach of the chorus.
1.
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Ἀντιγόνη ... Οἰδίπουν A word or two in the dialogue serves to introduce the persons, as in O. T. 8, ὁ πᾶσι κλεινὸς Οἰδίπους, with which τὸν πλανήτην Οἰδίπουν is intentionally contrasted.
1.
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τίνας .. πόλιν Cp. Hom. Od. 6. 119, alib., τεῶν αὖτε βροτῶν εἰς γαῖαν ἱκάνω;
3.
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τὸν πλανήτην Oedipus, like Orestes, before coming to Athens, has wandered far since the pollution was first found upon him. Cp. Aesch. Eum. 337.8, οὐ προστρόπαιον οὐδ᾽ ἀφοίβαντον χέρα, | ἀλλ᾿ ἀμβλὺν ἤδη προστετριμμένον τε πρὸς | ἄλλοισιν οἶκοις καὶ πορεύμασιν βροτῶν.
3.
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καθ᾿ ἡμέραν τὴν νῦν His place of sojourn changed from day to day.
4.
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σπανιστοῖς . . δωρήμασιν
With scanted alms. Cp. Shak. Lear, 3. 2, 67,
their scanted courtesy. The verbal σπανιστός,
made small, is explained by the words which follow, σμικρὸν .. φέροντα. For the situation, cp. Od. 15. 312, πλάγξομαι, αἴ κέν τις κοτύλην καὶ πύρνον ὀρέξῃ.
5.
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σμικρὸν.. σμικροῦ It is difficult to suppose that two forms of the same word can have occurred in the same line, although μικροῦ, the reading of L, is supported by the alliteration of μεῖον, which is opposed to it.
6.
mvp-comment-6-1
φέροντα Cp. Ο. Τ. 590, ἐκ σοῦ πάντ᾽ ἄνευ φόβου φέρω. For καὶ = καίτοι, see Essay on Language § 25. p. 42.
7-8.
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.
For my sufferings, and the long time which I have lived, and also a noble nature, teach me resignation.
7-8.
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χὠ χρόνος ξυνὼν μακρός.
And the length of the time that is with me. Time is partly personified; Essay on Language p. 19. Cp. οἱ συγγενεῖς μῆνες, Ο. Τ. 1082, Shak. Tro. and Cress. 4, 5,
That hast so long walked hand in hand with time. The position of μακρός is emphatic. Essay on Language § 41. p. 76. τρίτον is added by a familiar pleonasm. Ib. pp. 69, 75.
9.
mvp-comment-8-1
θάκησιν Ricc. 34 has θάκοισιν, anticipating Seidler's conjecture. The reading θάκοισιν admits of a possible explanation.
At some sitting place, if you see any seat-either by a place where all may sit, or by a sacred grove, let me stop and sit down. θάκοισιν, dat. of place, supplemented by πρὸς βεβήλοις (θάκοισιν), and in construction with στῆσον. But the reading in the text is simpler and smoother, and the corruption may have arisen from a very simple itacism. Cp. Phil. 17, 18, ἡλίου διπλῆ | πάρεστιν ἐνθάκησις, where, as here, θάκησις is
opportunity of sitting. And this is exactly the meaning which the context requires. Essay on Language p. 94, δ.
10.
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πρὸς βεβήλοις For the neut. adj., cp. 167, ἀβάτων ἀποβάς. The line prepares the way for what is to follow. Oedipus is led by a divine presentiment towards the sacred grove of the Eumenides; cp. infr. 97, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως οὐ πιστὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν πτερὸν | ἐξήγαγ᾽ ἐς τόδ' ἄλσος. See also the second ὑπόθεσις to this play, οὗ μὴ ἐστιν ἑτέρῳ βεβήλῳ τόπος, αὐτόθι κάθηται. The suppliant in clinging to the altar, etc., inevitably trespassed on things sacred. Cp. Eur. Suppl. 63, ὁσίως οὐχ, ὑπ' ἀνάγκας δὲ προσπίπτουσα . . θεῶν θυμέλας.
11.
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ὡς πυθοίμεθα
And then, haply, we may learn. Cp. Aesch. Suppl. 675, καὶ γεραροῖσι πρεσβυτοδόκοι | γεμόντων θυμέλαι φλεγόντων θ', | ὡς πόλις εὖ νέμοιτο. Where the optative expresses a remote intention. Here the uncertainty of the mood accords with the feeling of the blind and weary Oedipus.
12.
mvp-comment-11-1
μανθάνειν γὰρ ἥκομεν ἥκειν, like other verbs of motion, is used with a mixed literal and figurative meaning:
We are come where we must learn, i. e. partly
we are here to learn, partly
we are reduced to the point of learning. Cp. O. Τ. 1433, ἄριστος ἐλθών: El. 1201, μόνος γὰρ ἥκω τοῖς ἴσοις ἀλγῶν κακοῖς. Ε. on. L. § 52. p. 97.
13.
mvp-comment-12-1
The omission of δé in L is indefensible. χἂν has some MS. authority, and may be right, notwithstanding the objection which is made to the double crasis (for καὶ ἃ ἄν). But Elmsley's correction is more probable.
14-15.
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This answers τίνων ἀνδρῶν πόλιν; i. e.
We are not yet come to the city, whose towers are seen from far.
15.
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στέγουσιν
Protect. Cp. Aesch. Sept. 216, 797, where, however, the word is used without the acc. of that which is protected. This is a simpler and more natural expression than στέφουσιν, which is therefore an unnecessary conjecture.
15.
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ὡς ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων (1)
Το judge of them by the eye, sc. εἰκάζειν or κρίνειν, or more simply without supplying an infinitive, (2)
to the eye.
Are far away for the eye to reach, i. e.
We have but a distant view of them,
16.
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χῶρος δ᾽ ὅδ' ἱρός Answering to τίνας χώρους ἀφίγμεθα; in l. 2, and to ἢ πρὸς ἄλσεσιν θεῶν in l. 10.
16.
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ὡς ἀπεικάσαι The reading ὡς σάφ' εἰκάσαι,
As one may guess with certainty, though it has some MS. authority, is less in keeping with the moderation of the style. Cp. Tr. 141, πεπυσμένη μέν, ὡς ἀπεικάσαι, πάρει | πάθημα τοὐμόν. ἀπο as in ἀπομαντεύεσθαι, ἀποπειρᾶσθαι : i. e. ἀπεικάσαι is
to hazard a conjecture.
16.
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βρύων governs the genitive with the general notion of fulness. Ср. О. Т. 83, πολυστεφὴς . . δάφνης.
17.
mvp-comment-16-1
πυκνόπτεροι The compound adds picturesqueness to the expression.
Many-winged nightingales, i. e. Many fluttering nightingales. See Essay on Language p. 101. For the synaphea, cp. O. T. 29, Ar. Av. 1716.
20.
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Since the way you have travelled is long for an aged man.
21.
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τὸν τυφλόν For the article, cp. Ο. Τ. 1323, τὸν τυφλὸν κηδείων.
22.
mvp-comment-19-1
I have had time enough to learn that well.
23.
mvp-comment-20-1
When Oedipus is seated, he repeats his inquiry. The repetition is marked by δή.
Now, can you tell me-?
25.
mvp-comment-21-1
τοῦτό *γ᾽ is obviously right, though only found in one MS, Par. F. τοῦτον has arisen from χῶρον in the preceding line. The verse is given to Antig. by L, but the 2nd hand has put a line against this and the following verse, and a cross in the margin. The initials of the persons after 21 are by a recent hand.
27.
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ἐξοικήσιμος.. οἰκητός
If it is habitable.
It is indeed inhabited. The latter word is more definite. Antigone sees clear signs of habitation. The compound with ἐξ gives emphasis and completeness to the idea: cp. Thuc. 2. 17, ὑπὸ τῆς παραχρῆμα ἀνάγκης ἐξῳκήθη: also words like ἐξεστεμμένος, ἐκκοσμεῖν, ἐξανδρόομαι. Ε. on L. p. 101. The reason of the condition, εἴπερ κ.τ.λ., is simply that in an uninhabited place there would be no one to ask. Sch. καλῶς δὲ τὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας, ἵνα μὴ μόνος ὁ Οἰδίπους ἀπολειφθῇ.
30.
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Do you mean coming forth from the town and advancing hitherwards? On the inverted order, see Essay on Language § 41, b, p. 78.
31-32.
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Nay: he is actually in our presence: and whatever you think good to say at this moment, say on, for the man is here.
33.
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ἀκούων The reply in l. 36 suits with the aposiopesis, and the change to ἀκούω is not a happy one.
34-35.
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οὔνεχ᾽.. ἀδηλοῦμεν
Since so fortunately we have met with you, who come to inform our ignorance. The genitive follows σκοπός, and φράσαι is epexegetic, αἴσος
happy,
fortunate, as a good omen is called αἴσιος ὄρνις. σκοπός, properly
one sent to look, hence
one who brings intelligence. Cp. the figurative use of σκοπός in infr. 1096, τῷ σκοπῷ μὲν οὐκ ἐρεῖς | ὡς ψευδόμαντις.
35.
mvp-comment-27-1
The MS. reading τῶν is very possibly erroneous, as in El. 422, βλαστεῖν βρύοντα θαλλόν, τῷ κατάσκιον (L), where the metre decides for ᾧ. The early corruption τῶν ἃ δηλοῦμεν, however, is a proof of the antiquity of the reading τῶν, for had the words been ὧν ἀδηλοῦμεν, nobody would have thought of altering them to ὧν ἃ δηλοῦμεν. ἀδηλέω is not found elsewhere; but cp. Hesych. ἀδηλίαν, ἄγνοιαν, and the analogy of ἀλαστεῖν, etc. Essay on Language p. 102.
35.
mvp-comment-27-2
ΞΕΝΟΣ The Stranger, so called in relation to Oedipus, is an Athenian, but from the neighbourhood of Colonus, as appears from l. 70, ἆρ᾽ ἄν τις αὐτῷ πομπὺς ἐξ ὑμῶν μόλοι.
