Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 106

mvp-comment-296-1 στήσωσι ¹

mvp-comment-297-1 ὅρων ²

mvp-comment-298-1 The tenor of this fine passage should be observed.

mvp-comment-298-2 Oedipus took

(392) to mean that the welfare of Thebes depended on his presence there. He is thinking of a restoration to his Theban home (395) . He asks, therefore, —"Of what use can I be to them if I am left at their doors, and not received within their land?" "They will suffer," she replies, "if your tomb is neglected." Oedipus does not see the force of this answer: he still infers (from θανόντα in 390 ) that, whatever may be his doom in life, he is at least to be buried at Thebes. "Why, of course they will," he replies (403) . " So " — pursues the daughter (404) — "they mean to keep you within their grasp." A new suspicion flashes on him. "They will bury me at Thebes?" "It cannot be." That is enough. He will never give himself into their hands. — Remark that he was supposing Apollo's former decree (91) to have been cancelled by this later one (389) . He now sees that the new oracle does not cancel the former, but merely confirms it in one aspect, viz. in the promise of

ἄτην τοῖς πέμψασιν

(93) .

mvp-comment-298-3 θύρασι ³

mvp-comment-298-4 κειμένου ⁴

mvp-comment-299-1 κείνοις ⁵ βαρύς ⁶

mvp-comment-299-2 δυστυχῶν ⁷

mvp-comment-300-1 Cp. O. T. 398

. It needed no oracle to tell one that they would incur divine anger for neglecting the first duties of piety towards their late king.

mvp-comment-301-1 σε προσθέσθαι ⁸

mvp-comment-301-2 ἂν … κρατοῖς ⁹

mvp-comment-302-1 καὶ ¹⁰

mvp-comment-303-1 τοὔμφυλον αἷμα ¹¹

mvp-comment-304-1 συναλλαγῆς ¹²

mvp-comment-305-1 σοῖς … τάφοις ¹³

mvp-comment-306-1 θεωρῶν ¹⁴

mvp-comment-306-2 ἑστίας ¹⁵

mvp-comment-307-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ¹⁶

401. mvp-comment-219-1 θύραισι κειμένου Laid at their doors. The word κειμένου, though perhaps chosen with a view to what follows, as expressing Oedipus' presentiment of his end, has more immediate reference to the inactivity of age. A young warrior received within their gates might be of some avail, but what profit was there in an old man lying idle beyond their confines? Cp. the Homeric λυγρῷ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ, and Shakespeare's unregarded age in corners thrown. Y 2

402. mvp-comment-220-1 The difficulty of interpreting this line has arisen from not observing that the dative is governed of δυστυχῶν (= δυστυχῶς γιγνόμενος) as well as of βαρύς. Cp. supr. 308. Your burial, happening in a way unfortunate for them, is a danger to them.' According to this rendering, the point of the reply is obvious enough. It needs no divine intimation to teach us this.'

405. mvp-comment-221-1 μηδ᾽ ἵν᾽ ἂν σαυτοῦ κρατῆς But not in any place where you will be your own master. The subjunctive, as usual, after a relative adverb with av. Some editors have changed κρατῆς το κρατοῖς. But although this is favoured by the explanation of the Scholiast, ὅπου κρατοῖς ἂν σαυτοῦ, and by the comparison of l. 190, the change is unnecessary. For the adversative μηδέ, cp. El. 132, οὐδ᾽ ἐθέλω προλιπεῖν τύδε.

406. mvp-comment-222-1 κατασκιῶσι Will they overshadow me? Cp. infra 1707 τύμβον.. εὐσκιαστον: The Two Noble Kinsmen, 1, 1, Human grace Affords them dust and shadow.

407. mvp-comment-223-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐᾷ.. σ᾽ Sc κατασκιασθῆναι Θηβαίᾳ κύνει.

407. mvp-comment-223-2 τοῦμφυλον αἷμα The guilt of parricide. Cp. Ant. 703, νεῖκος.. ξύναιμον : О. Т. 1406. Cp. Plat. Legg. 9. 871 D. (of the punishment of homicide), ὁ δὲ ὀφλὼν θανάτῳ ζημιούσθω καὶ μὴ ἐν τῇ τοῦ παθόντος χώρᾳ θαπτέσθω, where it is added that the intention to kill is to be punished in the same way, except in the matter of burial.

410. mvp-comment-224-1 ποίας φανείσης συναλλαγῆς On what conjuncture having arisen?' 414. ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν With regard to me.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 829, ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρὶ τῷδ᾽ ἂν ὀρθοίη λόγον.