Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1670cont2

mvp-comment-1138-1 κατὰ … ἕλοι ¹

mvp-comment-1138-2 φόνιος ²

mvp-comment-1138-3 In this and some following passages the correspondence of strophe and antistrophe has been disturbed by interpolations, and also omissions, in the MSS. A

of this kind was peculiarly liable to corruption by the actors, and that has doubtless been one of the causes at work. (Cp. on 1737

.) At some points it is now impossible to restore the text with certainty; but the whole extent of the mischief is small. In dealing with such points we can only use caution, and clearly recognise the doubtful nature of the ground.—On this passage, see note in Appendix.

mvp-comment-1139-1 The words πατρὶ ξυνθανεῖν γεραιῷ ³

mvp-comment-1140-1 γ’ ὁ μέλλων ⁴

mvp-comment-1141-1 The MSS. give τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ καλῶς φέρειν χρή . There has certainly been an interpolation, equivalent to uu- . (1) Some reject the words φέρειν χρή . Then τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ καλῶς must be taken with φλέγεσθον :

(pass.): or, if with Herm. the verb is made midd., (cp. the act. in Ai. 196

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων

). So, if the MS. μηδ’ ἄγαν is kept, μηδ’ = (Herm., ). But μηδὲν ἄγαν or μηδ’ ἔτ’ ἄγαν (see cr. n.) gives in this case a clearer sense. (2) Wecklein, with whom I agree, rejects καλῶς and χρή , keeping φέρειν . Then τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ φέρειν = the inf. standing for imperat., a use fitting in such a precept ( O. T. 1529 ). The origin of the interpolated words is thus clear: χρή explained the use of the inf., while καλῶς was meant to fix the sense of φέρειν , lest τὸ φέρον should obscure it.

mvp-comment-1141-2 τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ ⁵

mvp-comment-1141-3 τὸ φέρον ⁶

mvp-comment-1142-1 The MS. μηδ’ ἄγαν οὕτω answers to λήγετε τοῦδ’ in 1722 . The question is, Are we (1) to compress the former, or (2) to expand the latter? Dindorf and others prefer (1), and so eject οὕτω , reading μηδ’ ἔτ’ (or μηδὲν ) ἄγαν ,=

. This view agrees with the metre, and is adopted by Heinrich Schmidt (see Metr. Analysis). If, on the other hand, οὕτω is kept here, then Hermann's λήγετ’ <ἤδη> τοῦδ’ is the simplest supplement in 1722. For Wecklein's conjecture λήγετ’ <αἰνοῦ> τοῦδ’ ( Ars Soph. emendandi p. 81), it may be said that might have dropped out before : cp. Ai. 706

αἰνὸν ἄχος

.

mvp-comment-1143-1 οὔτοι κατάμεμπτ’ ἔβητον ⁷

mvp-comment-1143-2 κατάμεμπτα ⁸

mvp-comment-1143-3 βαίνειν ⁹

mvp-comment-1143-4 But the scholium in L is:—

: [Elmsley ] (Theseus). . Does the lemma point to another reading? I do not think so. Papageorgius points out ( Krit. und palaeogr. Beiträge z. d. alt. Sophoklesscholien , p. 59) that was probably a mere slip, by the scholiast who copied the old scholia into L, for ( ), while was a like error for . On the strength of this schol., however, (1) Nauck conjectured οὔτοι κατάμεμπτος αἶσα : (2) Hartung, οὔτοι κατάμεμπτ’ ἔβη γάρ : (3) M. Schmidt, οὔτοι κατάμεμπτ’ ἀπέσβη , which Wecklein adopts, citing Bekk. Anecd. 422 . But the word would ill suit the swift passing of Oed.: it rather suggests a gradual extinction of life: cp. Eur. Med. 1218

¹⁰ χρόνῳ δ’ ἀπέσβη καὶ μεθῆχ’ ὁ δύσμορος | ψυχήν

.

mvp-comment-1144-1 < τοι> ¹¹

mvp-comment-1144-2 ἄρ’ ἦν ¹²

mvp-comment-1145-1 The MS. τὸ φίλον φίλον can only mean:

But the article is unendurable here, making her say, in effect, that her former duty was not the ideal of what is pleasant. It came in to patch the metre, when ἦν had dropped out. For instead of cp. 73: for the neut. pl. form, 1104.

mvp-comment-1145-2 τὸν ¹³

mvp-comment-1146-1 ὦ φίλος ¹⁴

mvp-comment-1146-2 Join τὸν ἀεὶ κατὰ γᾶς σκότον ¹⁵

mvp-comment-1146-3 εἱμένος ¹⁶

mvp-comment-1147-1 οὐδέ γ’ ἔνερθ’ ¹⁷

mvp-comment-1147-2 οὐδὲ γέρων ¹⁸

mvp-comment-1148-1 The first ἔπραξεν is itself an argument for the second. A simple repetition is more fitting than ἐξέπραξεν . Cp. on 1677

. Cp. Ai. 966

ἐμοὶ πικρὸς τέθνηκεν ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς,

αὑτῷ δὲ τερπνός· ὦν γὰρ ἠράσθη τυχεῖν

ἐκτήσαθ’ αὑτῷ, θάνατον ὅνπερ ἤθελεν

.

mvp-comment-1149-1 εὐσκίαστον ¹⁹

mvp-comment-1149-2 πένθος … ἄκλαυτον ²⁰

mvp-comment-1150-1 In τόδ’ ἐμὸν ὄμμα δακρῦον ἀναστένει ²¹

mvp-comment-1151-1 τὸ σὸν ἄχος ²²

mvp-comment-1151-2 ἀφανίσαι ²³

mvp-comment-1151-3 τόσον ²⁴

mvp-comment-1152-1 ὤμοι ²⁵

mvp-comment-1153-1 Cp. 1735

. Almost all critics are now agreed that the words ἔρημος ἄπορος were borrowed thence, to supply a gap here. But opinions differ as to whether we should here retain αὖθις , or ὧδ’ , or both. I retain both. See Metrical Analysis, and Appendix on 1690.

1690. mvp-comment-902-1 πατρὶ ξυνθανεῖν γεραίῳ Το lie in death with my aged father.' Cp. Phil. 1443, ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς. By changing ἕλοι τo ἕλοιτο (cp. О. Т. 887, Aj. 397), we obtain an Ionic rhythm, not unsuited to the person of Ismene.

1692. mvp-comment-903-1 Tricl. and several editors read διδύμα . . ἀρίστα. This is the slightest of at least six changes which have been made in 11. 1689-1695, 1715-1722, to secure a metrical correspondence which remains defective.

1693. mvp-comment-904-1 τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ καλῶς φέρειν χρή] You must bear with fortitude the lot whose direction is from heaven. φέρειν, as in the frequent φέρειν εἰς, expresses tendency or intention. φέρειν ἐκ occurs only here; but cp. Eur. Ι. Α. 69, ὅτου πνοαὶ φέροιεν Ἀφροδίτης φίλα: Hdt. 1. 159, φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἀδύτου γενέσθαι φέρουσαν πρὸς τὸν Ἀριστόδικον. For the rare form of verse, troch. trim. brachycat., cp. Aesch. 977, 790, supr. 1240, and Eur. Hel. 243, H. F. 120, where the 1st arsis is resolved, as here.

1695. mvp-comment-905-1 οὗ τοι κατάμεμπτ᾽ ἔβητον You have no cause to complain of your lot. More literally, The point at which you have arrived is not to be found fault with. The chorus mean to say, You, and your father's memory, are safe in the hands of Theseus. Cp. infr. 1737-1740. For the transference of the verb of motion, more frequent, however, with the adjective than the adverb, see Essay on Language p. 97, and cp. El. 979, εὖ βεβηκόσιν.

1697. mvp-comment-906-1 Ant. Then' (if to be thus is well) there is such a thing as longing for that which is not well;' i.e. Then it is possible to wish evil back again, for even what in itself was nowise loveable, was yet beloved, whilst I held him too in my arms.' For this use of ἦν in inference, see Essay on Language §. 32. p. 55, and cp. supra 117, τίς ἄρ᾽ ἦν; ποῦ ναίει;

1698. mvp-comment-907-1 τὸ φίλον That which is dear' (in the abstract). See Essay on Language § 21. p. 34, and Simon. fr. εἰ δὲ τοὶ δεινὸν τὸ γε δεινὸν ἦν.

1699. mvp-comment-908-1 Cp. infr. 1714, Il. 22.426, ὡς ὄφελεν θανέειν ἐν χερσὶν ἐμῇσιν. Ff2

1701. mvp-comment-909-1 τὸν ἀεί (sc. χρόνον). For evermore. This explanation, which is justified by the note on 1584, gives a better rhythm to this line.

1702. mvp-comment-910-1 οὐδὲ γέρων, κ.τ.λ. Even old as thou wert (or art) thou shalt never be forgotten by our love. Cp. supra 1600, πατρὶ συνθανεῖν γεραίῳ. It has been observed (on l. 1371 of the O. T.) that the soul in Hades was imagined as having all the characteristics of the person at the time of death and nothing can be more natural than that Antigone in the first moment of her sorrow should speak of her father as if he still needed tendance and care. This touch of nature extends to modern life and poetry. Shak. King John, 3.4,

His age did not lessen their affection in life, nor should it diminish their mourning for him in death. For the omission of the participle, see Essay on Language § 39. p. 72.

1704. mvp-comment-911-1 Elmsley's ἔπραξεν ; ΑΝ. *ἐξέπραξεν is preferable to ΧΟ. ἔπραξεν οὖν ; ΑΝ. ἔπραξεν (the emendation of Triclinius), (1) because preserving an exact correspondence to l. 1677 in the division of the line between the persons: (2) because introducing no unnecessary word: (3) the additional emphasis in the reply is in keeping with the mood of Antigone. Cp. Aj. 968, ὧν γὰρ ἠράσθη τυχεῖν | ἐκτήσαθ᾽ αὑτῷ, θάνατον ὅνπερ ἤθελεν.

1707. mvp-comment-912-1 εὐσκίαστον With kindly shadow. Cp. supra 406, and note.

1708. mvp-comment-913-1 Schneidewin compares the wish of Solon, Fr. 21, μηδέ μοι ἄκλαυστος θάνατος μόλοι, κ.τ.λ.

1709. mvp-comment-914-1 *ἀνὰ γάρ Hermann's conj. is adopted as the best hitherto.

1712. mvp-comment-915-1 ἀφανίσαι Το quench.

1713. mvp-comment-916-1 †ιώ· μὴ.. μοι The most probable explanation of these words is Hermann's, who, for the sake of metre, reads τῷ for ἰώ. (Quare) utinam ne in peregrina terra cupivisses mori, sed mortuus esses ita mihi desertus. Quoniam enim sentit tanto minus leniri dolorem suum posse, quod ne tumulus quidem patris sibi relictus sit, optat ut ille ne quaesivisset hanc apud exteros mortem, sed obiisset potius ita desertus ignotusque, ut ante cum ipsa per terras vagus errabat, quo saltem sepelire eum et justa facere in tumulo posset.' This interpretation supposes the use of μή with an historical tense of the indicative to express a strong negative wish, as has been already suggested in the note on supra 540-541. Ср. Aesch. Cho. 363 ff. This uncommon use would be here softened by exppses, suggesting ἐχρῆν σε, ας ἐπωφέλησα in 541 was suggestive of ὤφελες. On the other hand, the words in 1714, especially when compared with 1717, Plat. Phaedo, 58 C, ἀλλ' ἐρῆμος ἐτελεύτα φίλων, may very naturally mean, As it is, thou diedst unattended by me, while the positive expression of a wish by the past tense is more doubtful than the negative. And Mr. Palmer, reading lú μοι, γῆς ἐπὶ ξένας, κ.τ.λ., gives this turn to the sentence: Ah me! thou didst desire to die in a foreign land; yet thou hast thus died deserted by me. So also Schneidewin, omitting μή. But such a resumption of the beginning of the speech is too inartistic and abrupt for Sophocles. It is therefore better to follow Hermann and render, Would that thou hadst not cared to die in a strange land, but hadst died as thou wert, all alone upon my hands.'