Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, Thomas Francklin (Translator), 960

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Turn

← Previous Next →

Audacious man ! thinkst thou the vil«3 reproach
960

Thou utter'st falls on me, or on thyself?

Thou who upbraidst me thus for all my woes.

Murder and incest, which against my will

I had committed, so it pleased the gods,
965

But 1 am guiltless ; canst thou name a fault

Deserving this ? For, tell me, Avas it mine,

Wlien to my father Phujbus did declare

That he should one day perish by the hand
970

Of his own child? Was CEdipus to blame.

Who had no being then ? If, born at length

To wretchedness, he met his sire unknown,

And slew him, that involuntary deed

Canst thou condemn ? And for my fatal marriage,

Dost thou not blush to name it ? Was not she

Thy sister, she who bore me, ignorant

And guiltless woman, afterwards my wife,

And mother to my children? What she did,

fShe did unknowing ; not like thee, who thus

Dost purposely upbraid us both. Heaven knows
985

Unwillingly I w^edded her, and now

Unwillingly repeat the dreadful tale ;

But, nor for that, nor for my murdered father,

Have I deserved thy bitter taunts ; for tell me.
990

Thy life attacked, wouldst thou have stayed to ask

Th' assassin if he were t\\j father ? No ;

Self-love would urge thee to revenge the insult.

Thus was I drove to ill by th' angry gods ;
995

This, should my father's soul revisit earth.

Himself would own, and pity CEdipus.

Thy bold and impious tongue still utters all ;

Just or unjust, thou pourst thy foul reproach

On me, pretending to revere the name

Of Theseus and his countiy. But remember,

The city, whom thou hast praised, is famed

For piety and reverence to the gods ;

Yet wouldst thou drive a needy suppliant thence,

And lead him captive. Thou hast stolen my daughter ;

But I implore the dreadful goddesses
1010

To grant me aid, that thou mayst feel the power

Which thou contemn'st, and know the force of Athens.

Chorus
(JHended at my race for former crimes ;

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 960 focus

ὦ λῆμʼ ἀναιδές, τοῦ καθυβρίζειν δοκεῖς,
960

πότερον ἐμοῦ γέροντος, ἢ σαυτοῦ, τόδε ;

ὅστις φόνους μοι καὶ γάμους καὶ συμφορὰς

τοῦ σοῦ διῆκας στόματος, ἃς ἐγὼ τάλας

ἤνεγκον ἄκων· θεοῖς γὰρ ἦν οὕτω φίλον,

τάχʼ ἄν τι μηνίουσιν εἰς γένος πάλαι.
965

ἐπεὶ καθʼ αὑτόν γʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐξεύροις ἐμοὶ

ἁμαρτίας ὄνειδος οὐδὲν ἀνθʼ ὅτου

τάδʼ εἰς ἐμαυτὸν τοὺς ἐμούς θʼ ἡμάρτανον.

ἐπεὶ δίδαξον, εἴ τι θέσφατον πατρὶ

χρησμοῖσιν ἱκνεῖθʼ ὥστε πρὸς παίδων θανεῖν,
970

πῶς ἂν δικαίως τοῦτʼ ὀνειδίζοις ἐμοί,

ὃς οὔτε βλάστας πω γενεθλίους πατρός,

οὐ μητρὸς εἶχον, ἀλλʼ ἀγέννητος τότʼ ἦ;

εἰ δʼ αὖ φανεὶς δύστηνος, ὡς ἐγὼ ʼφάνην,

ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον πατρὶ καὶ κατέκτανον,
975

μηδὲν ξυνιεὶς ὧν ἔδρων εἰς οὕς τʼ ἔδρων,

πῶς *δἂν τό γʼ ἆκον πρᾶγμʼ ἂν εἰκότως ψέγοις ;

μητρὸς δέ, τλῆμον, οὐκ ἐπαισχύνει γάμους

οὔσης ὁμαίμου σῆς μʼ ἀναγκάζων λέγειν

οἵους ἐρῶ τάχʼ· οὐ γὰρ οὖν σιγήσομαι,
980

σοῦ γʼ εἰς τόδʼ ἐξελθόντος ἀνόσιον στόμα.

ἔτικτε γάρ μʼ ἔτικτεν, ὤμοι μοι κακῶν,

οὐκ εἰδότʼ οὐκ εἰδυῖα, καὶ τεκοῦσά με

αὑτῆς ὄνειδος παῖδας ἐξέφυσέ μοι.

ἀλλʼ ἓν γὰρ οὖν ἔξοιδα, σὲ μὲν ἑκόντʼ ἐμὲ
985

κείνην τε ταῦτα δυσστομεῖν· ἐγὼ δέ νιν

ἄκων ἔγημα, φθέγγομαί τʼ ἄκων τάδε.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ οὔτʼ ἐν τοῖσδʼ ἀκούσομαι κακὸς

γάμοισιν οὔθʼ οὓς αἰὲν ἐμφορεῖς σύ μοι

φόνους πατρῴους ἐξονειδίζων πικρῶς.
990

ἓν γάρ μʼ ἄμειψαι μοῦνον ὧν σʼ ἀνιστορῶ.

εἴ τίς σε τὸν δίκαιον αὐτίκʼ ἐνθάδε

κτείνοι παραστάς, πότερα πυνθάνοιʼ ἂν εἰ

πατήρ σʼ ὁ καίνων, ἢ τίνοιʼ ἂν εὐθέως;

δοκῶ μέν, εἴπερ ζῆν φιλεῖς, τὸν αἴτιον
995

τίνοιʼ ἄν, οὐδὲ τοὔνδικον περιβλέποις.

τοιαῦτα μέντοι καὐτὸς εἰσέβην κακά,

θεῶν ἀγόντων· οἷς ἐγὼ οὐδὲ τὴν πατρὸς

ψυχὴν ἂν οἶμαι ζῶσαν ἀντειπεῖν ἐμοί,

σὺ δʼ, εἶ γὰρ οὐ δίκαιος, ἀλλʼ ἅπαν καλὸν
1000

λέγειν νομίζων, ῥητὸν ἄρρητόν τʼ ἔπος,

τοιαῦτʼ ὀνειδίζεις με τῶνδʼ ἐναντίον.

καί σοι τὸ Θησέως ὄνομα θωπεῦσαι καλόν,

καὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας, ὡς κατῴκηνται καλῶς·

κᾆθʼ ὧδʼ ἐπαινῶν πολλὰ τοῦδʼ ἐκλανθάνει,
1005

ὁθούνεκʼ εἴ τις γῆ θεοὺς ἐπίσταται

τιμαῖς σεβίζειν, ἥδε τοῦθʼ ὑπερφέρει,

ἀφʼ ἧς σὺ κλέψας τὸν ἱκέτην γέροντʼ ἐμὲ

αὐτόν τʼ ἐχειροῦ τὰς κόρας τʼ οἴχει λαβών.

ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐγὼ νῦν τάσδε τὰς θεὰς ἐμοὶ
1010

καλῶν ἱκνοῦμαι καὶ κατασκήπτω λιταῖς

ἐλθεῖν ἀρωγοὺς ξυμμάχους θʼ, ἵνʼ ἐκμάθῃς

οἵων ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν ἥδε φρουρεῖται πόλις.

Χορός

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1044-1097 focus

Χορός

εἴην ὅθι δαΐων

ἀνδρῶν τάχʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ
1045

τὸν χαλκοβόαν Ἄρη

μείξουσιν, ἢ πρὸς Πυθίαις

ἢ λαμπάσιν ἀκταῖς,

οὗ πότνιαι σεμνὰ τιθηνοῦνται τέλη
1050

θνατοῖσιν, ὧν καὶ χρυσέα

κλῂς ἐπὶ γλώσσᾳ βέβακε

προσπόλων Εὐμολπιδᾶν·

ἔνθʼ οἶμαι τὸν ἐγρεμάχαν

Θησέα καὶ τὰς διστόλους
1055

ἀδμῆτας ἀδελφὰς

αὐτάρκει τάχʼ ἐμμίξειν βοᾷ

τούσδʼ ἀνὰ χώρους·

1059

Χορός

ἤ που τὸν ἐφεσπέρου

πέτρας νιφάδος πελῶσʼ
1060

Οἰάτιδος εἰς νόμον,

πώλοισιν ἢ ῥιμφαρμάτοις

φεύγοντες ἁμίλλαις.

ἁλώσεται· δεινὸς ὁ προσχώρων Ἄρης,
1065

δεινὰ δὲ Θησειδᾶν ἀκμά.

πᾶς γὰρ ἀστράπτει χαλινός,

πᾶσα δʼ ὁρμᾶται καθεῖσʼ

ἀμπυκτήρια στομίων

ἄμβασις, οἳ τὰν ἱππίαν
1070

τιμῶσιν Ἀθάναν

καὶ τὸν πόντιον γαιάοχον

Ῥέας φίλον υἱόν.

1074

Χορός

ἔρδουσʼ ἢ μέλλουσιν; ὡς

προμνᾶταί τί μοι
1075

γνώμα τάχʼ ἀντάσειν

τᾶν δεινὰ τλασᾶν, δεινὰ δʼ εὑρουσᾶν πρὸς αὐθαίμων πάθη.

τελεῖ τελεῖ Ζεύς τι κατʼ ἆμαρ

μάντις εἴμʼ ἐσθλῶν ἀγώνων.

εἴθʼ ἀελλαία ταχύρρωστος πελειὰς

αἰθερίας νεφέλας κύρσαιμʼ ἄνωθʼ ἀγώνων
1080

αἰωρήσασα τοὐμὸν ὄμμα.

1085

Χορός

ἰὼ θεῶν πάνταρχε, παντ-
1085

όπτα Ζεῦ, πόροις

γᾶς τᾶσδε δαμούχοις

σθένει ʼπινικείῳ τὸν εὔαγρον τελειῶσαι λόχον,

σεμνά τε παῖς Παλλὰς Ἀθάνα.
1090

καὶ τὸν ἀγρευτὰν Ἀπόλλω

καὶ κασιγνήταν πυκνοστίκτων ὀπαδὸν

ὠκυπόδων ἐλάφων στέργω διπλᾶς ἀρωγὰς

μολεῖν γᾷ τᾷδε καὶ πολίταις.

ὦ ξεῖνʼ ἀλῆτα, τῷ σκοπῷ μὲν οὐκ ἐρεῖς
1095

ὡς ψευδόμαντις· τὰς κόρας γὰρ εἰσορῶ

τάσδʼ ἆσσον αὖθις ὧδε προσπολουμένας.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 960 focus

O boldness void of shame! Whom dost thou think
960

Thy obloquy most harms, this agèd head
960

Or thine, who hast thus let pass thy lips the crimes

I have borne unwittingly. So Heaven was pleased

To wreak some old offence upon our race.

Since in myself you will find no stain of sin

For which such ruinous error ’gainst myself
965

And mine own house might be the recompense.

Tell me, I pray thee, if a word from Heaven

Came to my father through the oracle

That he should die by his son’s hand,—what right

Hast thou to fasten that reproach on me,
970

The child not yet begotten of my sire,

An unborn nothing, unconceived? Or if,

Born as I was to misery, I encountered

And killed my father in an angry fray,

Nought knowing of what I did or whom I slew,
975

What reason is’t to blame the unwitting deed?

And, oh, thou wretch! art not ashamed to force me

To speak that of my mother, thine own sister,

Which I will speak, for I will not keep silence,

Since thou hast been thus impious with thy tongue.

She was my mother, oh, the bitter word!
980

Though neither knew it, and having borne me, she

Became the mother of children to her son,

An infamous birth! Yet this I know, thy crime

Of speech against us both is voluntary.

But all involuntary was my deed
985

In marriage and is this mine utterance now.

No,—that shall not be called a bosom-sin,

Nor shall my name be sullied with the deed,

Thy tongue would brand on me, against my sire.

For answer me one question. If to-day,
990

Here, now, one struck at thee a murderous stroke,—

At thee, the righteous person,—wouldst thou ask

If such assailant were thy sire, or strike

Forthwith? Methinks, as one who cares to live,

You would strike before you questioned of the right,
995

Or reasoned of his kindred whom you slew.

Such was the net that snared me: such the woes

Heaven drew me to fulfil. My father’s spirit,

Came he to life, would not gainsay my word.

But thou, to whom, beneath the garb of right,

No matter is too dreadful or too deep
1000

For words, so rail’st on me, in such a presence.

Well thou dost flatter the great name of Theseus,

And Athens in her glory stablished here,

But midst thy fulsome praises thou forgettest

How of all lands that yield the immortal Gods
1005

Just homage of true piety, this land

Is foremost. Yet from hence thou would’st beguile

Me, the aged suppliant. Nay, from hence thou would’st drag

Myself with violence, and hast reft away

My children. Wherefore I conjure these powers,
1010

With solemn invocation and appeal,

To come and take my part, that thou may’st know

What men they are who guard this hallowed realm.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 960 focus

Schamloser! Wen zu schmähen wähnt dein Uebermuth

Mit solchem Hohne, mich den Greisen oder dich,

Dich, der den Mord, den Ehebund, mein Mißgeschick

So frech mir vorrückt, das ich unfreiwillig nur
960

Ertrug, ich Armer? So gefiel's den Göttern ja,

Die längst vielleicht Groll hegten wider mein Geschlecht.

Bei mir ja selber fändest du doch nimmermehr

Den Flecken eines Frevels aus, mit dem ich so

An mir und meinem Stamme mich versündigte.
965

Denn sage, wenn ein Gottesspruch dem Vater einst

Erscholl, er werde fallen durch des Sohnes Hand,

Wie kannst du billig diese Schuld vorwerfen mir,

Der noch des Lebens Keime nicht vom Vater noch

Der Mutter hatte, nein, noch ungeboren war?
970

Und wenn ich dann, zum Leide, wie ich war, gezeugt,

Im Kampf mit meinem Vater rang und ihn erschlug,

Nicht wissend, weder was ich that, noch gegen wen:

Wie schältst du füglich, was ich unfreiwillig that?

Auch von der Mutter Ehe zwiitgst du Frecher mich
975

Zu reden, du, ihr Bruder, und erröthest nicht!

Gleich sprech' ich hievon; kann ich doch nicht schweigen mehr,

Nun selbst bis dahin schweifte dein ruchloser Mund.

Ja, mich gebar, gebar sie, mich Unseligen,

Unwissend mich Unwissenden, und die mich gebar,
980

Hat, sich zur Schande, Kinder mir, dem Sohn, gezeugt.

Doch Eines weiß ich sicher, daß du mich und sie

Mit Willen also schmähtest: ich vermählte mich

Ihr nicht mit Willen, rede hier gezwungen nur.

Nein, meinen Namen schändet nicht der Ehebund,
985

Auch nicht der Mord des Vaters, den du jederzeit

Mir frech mit bitterm Hohne vorzurücken liebst.

Denn auf die Eine Frage nur antworte mir:

Kommt Einer, dich, Gerechter, auf der Stelle hier

Zu tödten, wirst du fragen, ob's dein Vater sei,
990

Der deinen Tod will, oder ihn zur Strafe zieh'n?

Ich denke, wenn dein Leben dir lieb ist, du strafst

Den Mörder, ohne nach dem Recht dich umzuseh'n.

In solches Unheil aber stürzt auch ich hinein

Durch Götterleitung, und der Geist des Vaters selbst,
995

Zum Lichte kehrend, glaub' ich, widerspräch' es nicht.

Doch du der Ungerechte, du, dem Jegliches

Schön dünkt zu reden, was geziemt und nicht geziemt -

Sprichst solchen Vorwurf ohne Scheu vor diesen aus.

Den Ruhm des Theseus schmeichelnd hochzupreisen, dünkt
1000

Dir schön, zu rühmen, wie geordnet blüht Athen:

Doch spendend solches reiche Lob, vergaßest du,

Daß jedes Volk der Erde, das in frommer Scheu

Die Götter ehrt, von diesem übertroffen wird,

Aus dem du mich, den greisen Schüzling, rauben willst,
1005

Mich frech bewältigst und die Töchter schon entführt.

Drum ruf' ich jezt zu dieses Haines Göttinmen

In tiefer Demuth und bestürme sie mit Fleh'n,

Verbündet hälfreich mir zu nah'n, auf daß du lerust,

Von was für Männern diese Stadt behütet wird.
1010

Der Chor.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 960 focus

Unblushing insolence! falls this reproach
960

On my hoar head, or on thine own? while thus
960

Thy tongue descants on murders, nuptial rites,

And miseries which, unhappy, I sustain'd

Of guilt not conscious; so it pleased the gods,

Of old perchance enraged at some offence

Of those from whom I sprung; for fault in me,
965

To warrant this reproach thou canst not find

Against myself committed, or my house.

For tell me, to my father if the voice

Of oracles declared that he should fall

Slain by his sons, me justly for the deed

Dost thou revile? I had not being then.
970

If by ill fate (and that ill fate was mine)

I in fierce conflict 'gainst my father stood,

And slew him, nothing knowing whom my hand

Opposed, canst thou revile me for a deed

Unknowingly committed? But, thou wretch,

Dost thou not blush that of my mother's bed
975

Thou hast constrain'd me to make mention, since

She was thy sister? I will speak of it

Briefly (for what would silence now avail?)

Since thy unhallow'd tongue hath touch'd that point.

She brought me forth, ah me! she brought me forth,
980

O my unhappy fate! then bore me sons,
980

Her foul reproach, unconscious I of guilt,

Of guilt unconscious she. But this I know,

Me thou hast willingly reviled, and her;

Unwillingly I wedded her, and now

Unwillingly speak this. Yet shall my name
985

Fear from these nuptials no reviling tongue,

Nor from my father's death, the constant theme

Of thy malignant censure: for with truth

Answer me this, should one with boisterous force

Instant attack thy life, no wrong by thee

First offer'd, wou'dst thou nice inquiry make
990

Whether thy father made the rude assault;

Or wou'dst thou in a moment strive t' avenge

The wrong? I think, if that thou lovest thy life,

Thou wou'dst avenge thee of the ruffian strait,

Nor with slow caution ponder what is right.

On ills like these with erring steps I ran,
995

Led by the gods? nor would my father's shade,

Could it return to life, I think, reply

Opposing my just plea. But thou, whose soul

No justice rules, prompted by impious pride

To utter all, though honour bids thy tongue
1000

Be silent, in this presence hast presumed:
1000

To charge me thus with base and slanderous blame.

Yet canst thou stoop with adulation bland

To fawn on Theseus, and th' Athenian state

As train'd to righteous laws; but 'midst thy praise

Of this forgetful, that if ever land
1005

Knew with due honours to revere the gods,

Athens in this hath high pre-eminence..

Yet in this state thy thievish hand hath seized,

Its hoary supplicant, and borne away

My virgin daughters. Touch'd with wrongs like these

Bending before these awful pow'rs I breathe
1010

My ardent supplications, and invoke

Their succour, their protection, that thy pride

May learn what men are guardians of this state.

Chorus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1044-1095 focus

Chorus

Oh, to be where the enemy, turned to fight,

will soon join in Ares’ clash of bronze, by the shores of Apollo, perhaps, or by that torch-lit beach
1045

where the Great Goddesses maintain awful rites for mortals on whose lips the ministering Eumolpidae have laid the golden seal of silence. There, I think, the war-rousing
1050

Theseus and the two maiden sisters will soon meet within our borders, amid the war-cry of resisting men!
1055

1059

Chorus

Or perhaps they will soon draw near to the pastures on the west of Oea’s snowy rock,

fleeing on young horses or in chariots racing full speed. He will be caught!
1060

Terrible is the neighboring Ares, terrible the might of the followers of Theseus. Yes, the steel of every bridle flashes,
1065

and against their opponents charges forward our whole cavalry, who honor horse-riding Athena, and the earth-girdling Sea-god, the dear son of Rhea.
1070

1074

Chorus

Is the battle now or yet to be?

For somehow my mind presages to me that soon I will meet the maidens who have suffered fearfully, who have found fearful suffering at the hands of a kinsman.
Today Zeus will bring something to completion.
1075

I predict noble struggles. Oh, to be a dove with the strength and swiftness of a whirlwind, that I might reach an airy cloud, and hang my gaze above the fight!
1080

1085

Chorus

Hear, all-ruling lord of the gods, all-seeing Zeus! Grant to the guardians of this land to achieve with triumphant might the capture that gives the prize into their hands! And may your daughter grant it too, dread Pallas Athena!
1085

And Apollo, the hunter, and his sister, who follows the spotted, swift-footed deer—I wish that they would come, a double help
1090

to this land and to its people.
1095

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-193-1 εἰ ¹

mvp-comment-193-2 θεοσεβεστάτας ²

mvp-comment-194-1 μόνας ³

mvp-comment-194-2 τὸν κακούμενον ξένον ⁴

mvp-comment-194-3 These two examples are cited in Her. 9.27 ; in the spurious

ἐπιτάφιος

ascribed to Lysias ( or. 2 §§ 4-16 ); and in that ascribed to Demosthenes ( or. 60 §§ 7, 8 ). Isocrates quotes them in the Panegyricus , as showing how the Athenians

διετέλεσαν τὴν πόλιν κοινὴν παρέχοντες καὶ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἀεὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐπαμύνουσαν

(§ 52) ; also in his Encomium Helenae § 31 ; and again in his Panathenaicus , where he remarks that Tragedy has made them familiar to all ( § 168

τίς οὐκ ἀκήκοε τῶν τραγῳδοδιδασκάλων Διονυσίοις

;). They figure, too, in the Platonic Menexenus , with the comment that Athens might justly be accused of too great compassion, and too much zeal for "the weaker cause":

ὡς ἀεὶ λίαν φιλοικτίρμων ἐστὶ καὶ τοῦ ἥττονος θεραπίς,

244 E . Cp. Her. 8.142

αἰεὶ καὶ τὸ πάλαι φαίνεσθε πολλοὺς ἐλευθερώσαντες ἀνθρώπων

. Andocides or. 3 § 28

τοὺς κρείττους φίλους ἀφιέντες ἀεὶ τοὺς ἥττους αἱρούμεθα

mvp-comment-195-1 σῴζειν ⁵

mvp-comment-195-2 οἵας τε ⁶

mvp-comment-196-1 κἄμοιγε ποῦ ⁷

mvp-comment-196-2 καί ⁸

mvp-comment-196-3 οἵτινες ⁹

mvp-comment-197-1 As 276 shows, ἐξάραντες refers to his first seat, in the grove. They had induced him to leave that seat ( 174 ff. ), on a pledge that no one should remove him from the resting-place outside of the grove. Yet now they command him to quit Attica ( ἐλαύνετε : 226

ἔξω...βαίνετε χώρας

mvp-comment-197-2 τάδε βάθρα ¹⁰

mvp-comment-198-1 οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γε ¹¹

mvp-comment-199-1 ἐπεὶ … ἔξοιδα ¹²

mvp-comment-200-1 πεπονθότ’ … δεδρακότα ¹³

mvp-comment-201-1 "Ye shrink from me as from a guilty man. And yet ( καίτοι ),— evil as were my acts (in themselves),— how have I shown an evil disposition (

φύσιν

), or incurred moral guilt? Before I struck my father, he had struck me (

παθὼν ἀντέδρων

: see O. T. 809 ). Even if I had been aware (

φρονῶν

) who he was, I might plead this in my defence: but, in fact, I did not know. Nor did I recognise my mother. They , on the other hand, had deliberately tried to kill their babe." — Note that the clause

ὥστ’ εἰ φρονῶν … κακός

, which could not apply to the incest, limits the reference of

ἀντέδρων

to the parricide; while

ἱκόμην

( 273 ) refers to both stains.

mvp-comment-202-1 He has two distinct pleas, (1) provocation, and (2) ignorance. These could have been expressed by ἀντέδρων (1) παθὼν μέν , (2)

εἰδὼς δ’ οὐδέν

. But (2) is forestalled by the thought that, if he had known, (1) would have excused him. This hypothesis is then contrasted with the fact (273) ; and the fact on his side is next contrasted with the fact on the other (274) . Hence παθὼν μέν has no clause really answering to it; for νῦν δ’ answers to εἰ φρονῶν , and ὑφ’ ὧν δ’ to οὐδὲν εἰδώς . The impf. ( ἀντέδρων ) expresses the situation ("I was retaliating"): the aor. (273) , an act accomplished at a definite moment.

mvp-comment-203-1 ἱκόμην ἵν’ ἱκόμην ¹⁴

mvp-comment-204-1 ὑφ’ ὧν δ’ ἔπασχον ¹⁵

mvp-comment-204-2 ἔπασχον ¹⁶

mvp-comment-205-1 ὥσπερ με κἀνεστής ¹⁷

mvp-comment-206-1 θεοὺς … τοὺς θεοὺς ¹⁹

mvp-comment-207-1 μοίραις ποεῖσθε ²⁰

mvp-comment-207-2 ποεῖσθε ²¹

mvp-comment-208-1 The place of του before φωτός (cp. Ai. 29

καί μοί τις ὀπτήρ

, Ph. 519

μὴ νῦν μέν τις εὐχερὴς παρῇς

) would be less awkward if φυγὴν and μήπω changed places: but the latter is reserved for the emphatic place at the beginning of the verse.

mvp-comment-209-1 μήπω ²²

mvp-comment-209-2 φωτὸς … βροτῶν ²³

mvp-comment-210-1 ξὺν οἷς ²⁴

mvp-comment-210-2 μὴ κάλυπτε ²⁵

mvp-comment-210-3 τὰς εὐδαίμονας ²⁶

mvp-comment-211-1 ἔλαβες ²⁷

mvp-comment-211-2 τὸν ἱκέτην ²⁸

mvp-comment-211-3 ἐχέγγυον ²⁹

mvp-comment-212-1 ἐκφύλασσε ³⁰

mvp-comment-213-1 δυσπρόσοπτον ³¹

mvp-comment-214-1 ἱερός ³²

mvp-comment-214-2 εὐσεβής ³³

mvp-comment-214-3 φέρων | ὄνησιν ³⁴

mvp-comment-215-1 ὁ κύριος … τις ³⁵

mvp-comment-216-1 τὰ δὲ μεταξὺ τούτου ³⁶

mvp-comment-216-2 τὰ ³⁷

mvp-comment-217-1 τἀπὸ σοῦ ³⁸

mvp-comment-218-1 ὠνόμασται ³⁹

mvp-comment-218-2 βραχέσι ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-219-1 ἄνακτας ⁴¹

mvp-comment-219-2 διειδέναι ⁴²

mvp-comment-220-1 The

ξένος

had spoken of Theseus as

ὁ κατ’ ἄστυ βασιλεύς

(67) , but had not said where he then was.

mvp-comment-221-1 πατρῷον ἄστυ γῆς ⁴³

mvp-comment-221-2 ἔχει ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-221-3 σκοπὸς ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-222-1 κἀμὲ ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-222-2 ἔπεμψεν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-222-3 στελῶν ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-223-1 Wecklein brackets these nine verses, thinking that they arose from a misunderstanding of 551-554 . Theseus divined the name of Oedipus from the description of his person; but these vv. were inserted by one who thought it necessary to explain how Theseus knew the name. I hold the verses to be genuine. The

ξένος

must have been sent to Athens by the Chorus before they came to the grove (117) , and could not, therefore, know the name of Oedipus (first disclosed at 222 ). He could only tell Theseus that there was a blind stranger at Colonus, who hinted at his own power to confer benefits (72) , and who looked noble (76) . Theseus, on entering (551) , at once greets Oedipus by name, though he had never seen him before (68) . He had divined the identity through a knowledge of the history (553) — i.e. he started from Athens on the strength of what the

ξένος

could tell. And on the way to Colonus (adds Theseus) he has been made certain of the fact (554) — i.e. he had heard the name. Now, it was precisely for such certainty that the dramatist meant this passage to provide. He felt that otherwise there might have been too great improbability in the instant confidence of the recognition by Theseus.

mvp-comment-224-1 Join αὐτὸν with ἐλθεῖν , not with ἕξειν : cp. O. T. 6

ἁγὼ δικαιῶν μὴ παρ’ ἀγγέλων, τέκνα,

ἄλλων ἀκούειν αὐτὸς ὧδ’ ἐλήλυθα

mvp-comment-225-1 καὶ κάρθ’ ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-226-1 κέλευθος ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-227-1 πλανᾶσθαι ⁵¹

mvp-comment-227-2 τῶν ⁵²

mvp-comment-228-1 θάρσει, παρέσται ⁵³

mvp-comment-228-2 πολὺ ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-229-1 κεἰ βραδὺς εὕδει ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-229-2 εὕδω ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-229-3 βραδύς ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-230-1 κλύων σοῦ ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-231-1 τίς γὰρ ἐσθλός ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-232-1 τίλέξω ⁶²

mvp-comment-232-2 ποῖ φρενῶν ⁶³

mvp-comment-233-1 τί δ’ ἔστι; ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-234-1 Αἰτναίας … πώλου ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-234-2 Αἰτναίας ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-235-1 κρατὶ ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-235-2 Θεσσαλὶς κυνῆ ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-236-1 πρόσωπα ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-237-1 Elms. cp. Eur. I. T. 577

ἆρ’ εἰσίν; ἆρ’ οὐκ εἰσί; τίς φράσειεν ἄν;

mvp-comment-237-2 πλανᾷ ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-238-1 Arist. Metaphys. 3. 6

ἀδύνατον ἅμα καταφάναι καὶ ἀποφάναι ἀληθῶς.

mvp-comment-238-2 τί φῶ ⁷²

mvp-comment-239-1 φαιδρὰ ⁷³

mvp-comment-239-2 σαίνει με ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-240-1 The δῆλον of the MSS. can mean only "manifest to me" (a very weak sense): for it could not bear the emphatic sense, "in living presence" (as opp. to "in my fancy"). Nor, again, can it well be taken as a parenthetic adv., "'tis clear" (like Ai. 906

αὐτὸς πρὸς αὑτοῦ· δῆλον·

). The conjecture ἀδελφὸν (cp. Ant. 1

ὦ κοινὸν αὐτάδελφον Ἰσμήνης κάρα

) may be right.

mvp-comment-241-1 Ismene has come from Thebes, where she has hitherto continued to live, in order to bring her father important tidings. The Thebans will shortly make an attempt to fix his home, not within, but near their borders. A war has already broken out between his sons.

mvp-comment-241-2 There is no contrast in this play, as in the early part of the Antigone , between the spirit of the sisters. But the contrast between their circumstances indirectly exalts Antigone. She is wandering barefooted, enduring heat and cold ( 349 f. ), — Creon is struck by the suffering shown in her aspect ( 748 ), — while Ismene has at least the ordinary comforts of life.

mvp-comment-241-3 ὦ δισσὰ πατρὸς καὶ κασιγν ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-242-1 δεύτερον ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-242-2 λύπῃ ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-243-1 ὁρᾶν ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-244-1 In the MSS. the verse ἦ τῆσδε κἀμοῦ ; etc. stands immediately after the verse πρόσψαυσον, ὦ παῖ , etc. Musgrave has been followed by nearly all subsequent editors, in separating these two verses by the insertion between them of the verse ὦ σπέρμ’ ὅμαιμον etc. This transposition is plainly necessary: else Ismene will say that she touches not only her father and sister, but herself. Campbell defends

θιγγάνω … δυσμόρου … ἐμοῦ τρίτης

as meaning, "I too am linked in this unhappy circle": adding that

"the construction of a reply, in this sort of dialogue, is not to be pressed too closely."

The source of the confusion in the MSS. was obviously that the gen. ἦ τῆσδε κἀμοῦ etc. could depend, in grammar , either on θιγγάνω or on τροφαί , though the sense leaves no choice. Nauck further places v. 327 (

ὦ τέκνον, ἥκεις

) after v. 329 (

πρόσψαυσον

). Wecklein places v. 328 (

τέκνον, πέφηνας

) after v. 329 . Neither of these changes is hurtful; but neither appears necessary.

mvp-comment-245-1 ὦ δυσάθλιαι τροφαί ⁸¹

mvp-comment-245-2 ὅμαιμον ⁸²

mvp-comment-246-1 σῇ ⁸³

mvp-comment-247-1 πότερα ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-247-2 πόθοισι ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-247-3 λόγων αὐτάγγ ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-248-1 ξὺν ᾧπερ … μόνῳ ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-249-1 πονεῖν ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-249-2 ποῦ ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-250-1 οὗπέρ εἰσι ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-250-2 τανῦν ⁹¹

mvp-comment-251-1 Αἰγύπτῳ ⁹²

mvp-comment-252-1 φύσιν ⁹³

mvp-comment-252-2 τροφάς ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-253-1 ἱστουργοῦντες ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-254-1 τἄξω βίου τροφεῖα ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-255-1 σφῷν δ’ ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-256-1 Not noticing Ismene's hint (336) , Oedipus imagines his sons in repose at Thebes. He is soon to learn that one of them, an exile, is levying war against the other (374) .

mvp-comment-256-2 οἰκουροῦσιν ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-256-3 ὥστε ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-256-4 παρθένοι ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-257-1 τἀμὰ δυστήνου ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-258-1 νέας τροφῆς ἔληξε ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-258-2 κατίσχυσεν ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-259-1 γερονταγωγεῖ ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-260-1 νηλίπους ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-261-1 ἡγεῖται ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-261-2 τὰ τῆς ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-262-1 εἰ … ἔχοι ¹¹²

mvp-comment-262-2 τροφὴν ¹¹³

mvp-comment-263-1 μαντεῖα πάντα ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-264-1 τοῦδε σώματος ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-264-2 φύλαξ δέ μοι ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-264-3 μοι ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-265-1 στόλος ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-266-1 μὴ οὐχὶ … φέρουσα ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-267-1 From Thebes to Athens is a short day's journey; but Ismene has sought her father far and wide. This could not well have been if, as Campbell supposes (on 355 ), the oracles which she herself had formerly brought to him had directed his course towards Attica.

mvp-comment-268-1 ζητοῦσα τὴν σὴν τροφήν ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-269-1 ἀμφὶ … παίδοιν ¹²¹

mvp-comment-270-1 Eteocles and Polyneices were young boys at the fall of Oedipus (see on 1

), and their uncle Creon (brother of Iocasta) became regent ( O. T. 1418 ). As the two brothers grew up, they agreed, at first, in wishing to resign the throne, of which they were joint heirs, to Creon, lest Thebes should be tainted by their own rule; but afterwards they fell to striving with each other for the sole power.

mvp-comment-270-2 ἔρως ¹²²

mvp-comment-270-3 Κρέοντί τε ¹²³

mvp-comment-270-4 Paley's

Κρέοντι δὴ

is, however, highly probable. It would mean, "to Creon in the next resort." So δὴ is used of succession in Ant. 173 , where Creon says

ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω

, I next (the sons of Oed. being dead); and Aesch. Eum. 3

ἣ δὴ τὸ μητρὸς δευτέρα τόδ’ ἕζετο | μαντεῖον

mvp-comment-271-1 ἐᾶσθαι ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-271-2 πόλιν ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-272-1 λόγῳ ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-272-2 τὴν πάλαι … φθοράν ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-273-1 κἀλιτηρίου ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-274-1 The dat. after εἰσῆλθε is strictly a dat. of the person interested, but was perh. influenced by the analogy of the dat. in

παρέστη μοι

, "it occurred to me," and the like; cp. Tr. 298

ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἶκτος... εἰσέβη

: Her. 1.86

) λέγεται ( τῷ Κροίσῳ … ἐσελθεῖν...τὸ τοῦ Σόλωνος

: but 6. 125

τὸν Κροῖσον γέλως ἐσῆλθε

: and so Eur. Med. 931

εἰσῆλθέ μ’ οἶκτος

mvp-comment-274-2 τρὶς ἀθλίοιν ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-275-1 If νεάζων ¹³¹

mvp-comment-276-1 τὸν πρόσθε ¹³²

mvp-comment-277-1 ἀποστερίσκει ¹³³

mvp-comment-278-1 πληθύων ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-279-1 Ἄργος ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-280-1 κῆδος ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-280-2 καινόν ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-281-1 ὡς ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-281-2 ὡς … Ἄργος … καθέξον ἢ … βιβῶν ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-282-1 τιμῇ ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-282-2 καθέξον ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-282-3 πρὸς οὐρ. βιβῶν ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-283-1 ἀριθμός ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-284-1 If the MS. ὅποι (Vat. ὅπη ) is right, the phrase is harsh beyond example. ποῖ, ὅποι , instead of ποῦ, ὅπου , are often boldly used, when the verb implies either ( a ) motion , as 227

καταθήσεις

, 476

τελευτῆσαι

, Eur. Bacch. 184

καθιστάναι

, etc.; or ( b ) patience up to a point, as Aristoph. Lys. 526

ποῖ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν ἀναμεῖναι;

But it is hard to see how ὅποι κατοικτιοῦσιν could mean " how far they will prolong (thy woes) before they pity them." To supply προελθόντας or προαγαγόντες is to cut the knot. If the phrase meant anything, it ought rather to mean, " up to what point they will pity them." As in 335

ποῖ

is a MS. error for ποῦ , so here ὅποι for ὅπου (Wecklein prefers ὅπῃ , "in what way"). Note that, in this context, πόνους = the woes of Oed. generally (mental and physical), not merely his toils in wandering: this is against the emend. κατοικιοῦσιν .

mvp-comment-285-1 ὡς … ἕξειν ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-285-2 ὡς … θεοὺς ἕξειν ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-286-1 Since ἔγωγε is virtually one word, this v. cannot be regarded as an instance of γε used twice in the same sentence. Such repetition is allowable when more than one word is to be emphasised, as Eur. Phoen. 554

ἐπεὶ τά γ’ ἀρκοῦνθ’ ἱκανὰ τοῖς γε σώφροσιν

, but no certain example happens to occur in Soph.: see on O. T. 1030 .

mvp-comment-287-1 The purport of this new oracle seems to have been: — "The welfare of Thebes depends on Oed., alive or dead." Ismene paraphrases it: — "It shows that you will be in request with the Thebans some day (

ποτέ

, i.e. some day soon , 397 ), — not merely after your death, but while you live." She knows that Creon is coming in the hope of carrying Oed. back — not to Thebes, but to some place just beyond the Theban border, where his person, and afterwards his grave, should be under Theban control. Cp. on .

mvp-comment-288-1 εὐσοίας ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-289-1 A and other MSS. have

τοιοῦδ’ ὑπ’

, which gives a clear constr. It seems arbitrary to assume that in L's reading

τίς δ’ ἂν τοιοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν

the syllable lost was rather τι after τίς δ’ ἂν , the gen. being one of source. Herm. supports the latter view by O. T. 1006

σοῦ πρὸς δόμους ἐλθόντος εὖ πράξαιμί τι

, but there the gen. is absolute. Wecklein gives

τίς δ’ ἀντὶ τοιοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν;

comparing

ἀνθ’ οὗ, ἀντὶ τοῦ

; but in such phrases

ἀντί

"in recompense for,"

not

"through the agency of."

mvp-comment-290-1 ἐν σοὶ ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-290-2 γίγνεσθαι ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-290-3 φασί ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-290-4 κράτη ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-291-1 ἀνήρ ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-292-1 ὤλλυσαν ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-293-1 see on 1

mvp-comment-293-2 δ\ς πέσῃ ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-294-1 καὶ μὴν ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-294-2 γε ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-295-1 βαιοῦ … χρόνου ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-295-2 κοὐχὶ μ. ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-296-1 στήσωσι ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-297-1 ὅρων ¹⁶²

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

mvp-comment-298-2 Oedipus took

ἐν σοί

(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 ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-298-4 κειμένου ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-299-1 κείνοις ¹⁶⁵ βαρύς ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-299-2 δυστυχῶν ¹⁶⁷

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

γνώμῃ κυρήσας οὐδ’ ἀπ’ οἰωνῶν μαθών

. 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 ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-301-2 ἂν … κρατοῖς ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-302-1 καὶ ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-303-1 τοὔμφυλον αἷμα ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-304-1 συναλλαγῆς ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-305-1 σοῖς … τάφοις ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-306-1 θεωρῶν ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-306-2 ἑστίας ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-307-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-308-1 οἱ μολόντες ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-309-1 παίδων τις ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-310-1 καὶ εἶτα ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-310-2 τῶνδ’ ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-310-3 πάρος … προὔθεντο ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-311-1 τοὐμοῦ πόθου ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-312-1 φέρω δ’ ὅμως ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-313-1 ἀλλ’ ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-313-2 σφιν ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-313-3 τὴν πεπρωμένην ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-314-1 ἐν δ’ ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-314-2 ἐν ἐμοί ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-315-1 κἀπαναίρονται ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-315-2 ἐπαναιροῦνται δόρυ ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-316-1 ὡς ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-317-1 οἵ γε ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-318-1 ἀτίμως ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-319-1 οὐκ ἔσχον ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-319-2 ἤμυναν ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-319-3 ἀνάστατος ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-320-1 αὐτοῖν ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-320-2 ἐξεκηρύχθην ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-321-1 εἴποις ἂν ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-321-2 θέλοντι ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-321-3 τότε ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-322-1 The ι in L's κατηίνυσεν speaks for κατῄνεσεν ,— clearly much fitter here than κατήνυσεν . Cp. 1633

καταίνεσον

, 1637

κατῄνεσεν

. The contrast is between exile imposed as a doom or granted as a boon,—not merely between a wish fulfilled or unfulfilled.

mvp-comment-323-1 ἡμέραν ²⁰²

mvp-comment-323-2 τὴν αὐτίχ’ ²⁰³

mvp-comment-324-1 λευσθῆναι πέτροις ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-325-1 ἔρωτ’ ἐς τόνδ’ ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-326-1 πέπων ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-327-1 ἐκδραμόντα ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-328-1 The gen. might be taken with μείζω , "a chastiser greater than the sins," i.e. "severer than they merited" (

ἢ κατὰ τὰ ἡμαρτ

.); but it is simpler to take it with κολαστήν , "too great a chastiser of the sins." As

μέγας θυμός

is "violent anger," so

θυμός

which is over-violent can be called

μείζων κολαστής

. The rhythm of the verse will not permit us to disjoin

μείζω

(as by a comma) from

κολαστήν

mvp-comment-329-1 τὸ τηνίκ’ ἤδη ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-329-2 τοῦτο μέν ²¹²

mvp-comment-330-1 χρόνιον ²¹³

mvp-comment-330-2 ἐπωφελεῖν ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-331-1 οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ πατρί ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-331-2 τὸ δρᾶν ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-332-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-333-1 σφιν ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-334-1 τοῖνδε ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-335-1 τροφάς ²²⁰

mvp-comment-336-1 γῆς ἄδειαν ²²¹

mvp-comment-336-2 Nauck's

στέγης τ’ ἄδειαν

seems too suggestive of a fixed home to suit

τὸν πλανήτην

(3): Wecklein's

κοίτης τ’ ἄδειαν

makes a detail too prominent in this general acknowledgment. With regard to

βλάβης τ’

κἄτης ἄδειαν

(Blaydes), remark that

ἄδεια

never occurs with a gen. of that against which one is safe. The καὶ before

γῆς

seems genuine: were it absent, the

καὶ

before

τροφὰς

must answer to that before

γένους

. And, for a rhetorical passage, γῆς is in some degree confirmed by the assonance with

γένους

mvp-comment-336-3 γένους ²²²

mvp-comment-337-1 The constr. is, εἱλέσθην θρόνους, καὶ κραίνειν σκῆπτρα , etc.

mvp-comment-337-2 κραίνειν ²²³

mvp-comment-337-3 σκῆπτρα ²²⁴

mvp-comment-338-1 As most editors since Elmsley have allowed, the MS. οὔ τι ... οὔτε cannot be right. And οὔ τι ... οὐδέ is clearly more forcible than οὔτε ... οὔτε .

mvp-comment-338-2 λάχωσι ²²⁵

mvp-comment-338-3 τοῦδε ²²⁶

mvp-comment-338-4 συμμάχου ²²⁷

mvp-comment-339-1 The oracle newly brought by Ismene is distinguished from the oracle given to Oedipus himself at Delphi in former years (see on 87

). He calls the former her oracle, because she brings it. Both oracles alike concern him. We must not, then, change τἀξ to τἀπ’ (

"concerning me"

mvp-comment-339-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ παλαίφατα ²²⁸

mvp-comment-339-3 ἐξ ²²⁹

mvp-comment-340-1 ἤνυσεν ²³⁰

mvp-comment-341-1 ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ²³¹

mvp-comment-341-2 In the reading

θέλητέ μου

πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς

, note these points: (1)

ἀλκήν μου ποιεῖσθαι

would not mean, "defend me," but rather "defend against me" (cp. on ): we must at least have μοι . (2) πρός yields no tolerable sense.

ὑμεῖς, πρὸς ταῖς θεαῖς

, "ye, in addition to the goddesses," ranks the Coloniates with, or above, their deities. The gloss

σύν

, written in L over

πρός

(whence it came into other MSS.), was a palliative. Nor could

πρός

mean here, "close to their shrine."

mvp-comment-341-3 For Dindorf's

ὁμοῦ

προστάτισι

it may be urged:—(1)

ταῖσι ταῖς

is in all MSS., which would be strange if

ταῖσδε ταῖς

were genuine; while

πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς

is simply explained by

προστά

(

)

ισι ταῖς

. (2) A change of

προστάτισι

into

πρὸς ταῖσι

might have produced the change of

‐θ’ ὁμοῦ

into

‐τέ μου

. (3) After

ἐμοῦ

in 455 it is easy to dispense with the pronoun.—Cp. O. T. 882

θεὸν οὐ λήξω ποτὲ προστάταν ἴσχων

: Tr. 209

Ἀπόλλωνα προστάταν

: Porphyry Antr. Nymph. 12

νύμφαις ὑδάτων προστάτισιν

mvp-comment-342-1 δημούχοις ²³²

mvp-comment-343-1 ἀλκὴν ποεῖσθαι ²³³

mvp-comment-344-1 ἀρεῖσθε ²³⁴

mvp-comment-344-2 The ἐμῆς in L (where

τῆσδ’

perh. preceded

τοῖσδ’

) gives some colour to the conjecture

τῆς

(or

τοῖς

)

δὲ γῆς

: yet τοῖς δ’ ἐμοῖς seems right. Oedipus is following the train of thought in which benefits to Attica are bound up with retribution for his own wrongs ( 92 ); and he thus gives the Chorus another pledge that their interest is one with his. With

ἐμοῖς, τῇδε μὲν

is best in 459 : with

γῆς, τῇδε τῇ

would have been fitter.

mvp-comment-345-1 ἐπάξιος ²³⁵

mvp-comment-345-2 κατοικτίσαι ²³⁶

mvp-comment-346-1 αὐτός τε παῖδές θ’ ²³⁷

mvp-comment-347-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις ²³⁸

mvp-comment-347-2 τῷδε λόγῳ ²³⁹

mvp-comment-348-1 Editors usu. give either

ὡς νῦν , θοῦ νῦν

(with L), or

ὥς νυν ...θοῦ νυν

(as Elms.). But νυν seems best in 465 , νῦν in 466 .

mvp-comment-348-2 προξένει ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-348-3 ὡς … τελοῦντι ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-349-1 καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων ²⁴²

mvp-comment-350-1 The libation is due (1) as a greeting to the

θεοὶ ἐγχώριοι

of Attica, (2) as an atonement for trespass on the grove. The words

καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον

form an independent sentence, and not a second relative clause (as if

ὧν

were supplied from

ἐφ’ ἅς

): see on .

mvp-comment-350-2 κατέστειψας ²⁴³

mvp-comment-351-1 ἀειρύτου ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-352-1 δῑ ὁσίων χειρῶν ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦτο ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-353-2 ἀκήρατον ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-354-1 κρατῆρές εἰσιν ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-354-2 εὔχειρος ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-354-3 τέχνη ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-355-1 The crater had various forms, some of them local (thus Her. 4.61 speaks of a

Λέσβιος κρητήρ

, and 4. 152 of an

Ἀργολικός

): but the general type was that of a large bowl, supported by a foot with a broad base, and having a handle at each side (cp. Guhl and Koner, p. 150).

mvp-comment-355-2 κρᾶτ’ ²⁵²

mvp-comment-355-3 λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους ²⁵³

mvp-comment-356-1 θαλλοῖσιν ²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-357-1 The MS. νεαρᾶς seems the right word: with Bellermann, I insert σὺ , though Wecklein's τε is also possible. For the iterated

νεο‐

cp. Ant. 157

νεοχμὸς νεαραῖσι θεῶν

ἐπὶ συντυχίαις

. The objection to γε is that it supposes κρόκαισιν to be the genus of which μαλλῷ is a species. μαλλός , however, means, not a woollen texture, but a fleece of wool, flocks of which were to be made into a festoon ( στέφος ) for the brim of the κρατήρ , like that which the suppliant put on his ἱκετηρία ( O. T. 3 ). νεώρους is tempting, but elsewhere means "recent," "fresh" ( 730 , El. 901 ), not "young." The drawback to Dindorf's νεαλοῦς is the sense. νεαλής in class. Attic meant not young , but fresh as opp. to exhausted : Xen. Cyr. 8.6.17

παραλαμβάνειν τοὺς ἀπειρηκότας ἵππους καὶ ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἄλλους πέμπειν νεαλεῖς

. Plat. Polit. 265B

νεαλέστεροι ὄντες

(we shall travel better) while we are fresh. Aristoph. fr. 330

ἕως νεαλής ἐστιν αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκμήν

is an isolated line, but the word seems to have the same sense there. Nicander Alexipharmaca 358 ( circ. 150 B.C. ) is the first writer quoted for νεαλής as = "young."

mvp-comment-357-2 λαβών ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-358-1 τὸ δ’ ἔνθεν ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-358-2 ποῖ τελ. ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-359-1 χοὰς χέασθαι ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-359-2 πρὸς πρώτην ἕω ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-359-3 The schol. here says that persons performing expiatory rites (

ἐκθύσεις

) or purifications (

καθαρμοί

) faced the East (as the region of light and purity), quoting El. 424 f., where Electra

ἡλίῳ | δείκνυσι τοὔναρ

, and Cratinus

ἐν Χείρωνι

(the title of the comedy was

Χείρωνες

, Bothe, Frag. Com. p. 47):

ἄγε δὴ πρὸς ἕω πρῶτον ἁπάντων ἵστω καὶ λάμβανε χερσὶ | σχῖνον μεγάλην

,—the squill being used in purifications.

mvp-comment-359-4 Statues of gods were oft. set to face the East ( Paus. 5.23.1 , etc.): also, victims about to be sacrificed ( Sen. Oed. 338 ). Cp. the precept of Zoroaster

"to face some luminous object while worshipping god"

(Max Müller, Chips 1. 175). Conversely, in pronouncing solemn curses the priests faced the West ,—waving red banners: [Lys.] In Andoc. § 51

στάντες κατηράσαντο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ φοινικίδας ἀνέσεισαν

mvp-comment-360-1 κρωσσοῖς ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-360-2 οἷς ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-360-3 χέω ²⁶²

mvp-comment-361-1 πηγάς ²⁶³

mvp-comment-361-2 τρισσάς ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-361-3 τὸν τελευτ ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-362-1 θῶ ²⁶⁶

mvp-comment-363-1 μελίσσης ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-363-2 προσφέρειν ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-364-1 μελάμφυλλος ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-365-1 αὐτῇ ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-365-2 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-366-1 ἐπεύχεσθαι ²⁷²

mvp-comment-367-1 τούτων ²⁷³

mvp-comment-367-2 μέγιστα ²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-368-1 Εὐμενίδας ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-368-2 ἐξ ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-369-1 τὸν ἱκέτην ²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-369-2 σωτήριον ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-370-1 σύ τ’ ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-371-1 ἄπυστα ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-371-2 μηκύνων ²⁸²

mvp-comment-372-1 ἀφέρπειν ²⁸³

mvp-comment-372-2 ἄστροφος ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-373-1 παρασταίην ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-374-1 προσχώρων ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-375-1 ὁδωτά ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-375-2 λείπομαι ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-375-3 ἐν ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-376-1 δύνασθαι ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-377-1 ἀρκεῖν … παρῇ ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-378-1 ἀλλ’ ἐν τάχει τι ²⁹²

mvp-comment-379-1 δίχα ²⁹³

mvp-comment-380-1 τελοῦσα ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-380-2 τὸν τόπον ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-381-1 χρῆσται ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-381-2 τοῦτο ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-382-1 ἄλσους ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-383-1 ἔποικος ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-384-1 Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δ’ ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-385-1 οὐδ’ ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-387-1 κείμενον … ἐπεγείρειν ³⁰²

mvp-comment-388-1 Mekler's ὥρα με (for ἔραμαι ) would give a closer correspondence between strophe and antistrophe: see on 523

mvp-comment-389-1 τί τοῦτο ³⁰³

mvp-comment-390-1 τᾶς ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-390-2 ἀπόρου φανείσας ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-391-1 ᾇ ξυνέστας ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-392-1 τᾶς σᾶς ἃ πέπονθ’ ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-392-2 ἔργ’ ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-393-1 τὸ πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον ἄκουσμα χρῄξω ἀκοῦσαι ὀρθόν ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-393-2 πολὺ ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-393-3 μηδαμὰ ³¹¹

mvp-comment-393-4 λῆγον ³¹²

mvp-comment-393-5 ἄκουσμα ³¹³

mvp-comment-394-1 στέρξον ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-395-1 κἀγὼ ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-396-1 I read

ἤνεγκ’ οὖν κακότατ’,... ἤνεγκ’ ἀέκων . ἤνεγκον

was, indeed, the ordinary form of the aor. in the older Attic, as inscriptions show, in which

ἤνεγκα

occurs first about 360 B.C. (Meisterhans, p. 88); but

ἤνεγκα

is proved by metre in El. 13 and Eur. Ion 38 .

οὖν

is suitable, when he is reluctantly proceeding to unfold his story in answer to their pressing demand.

mvp-comment-396-2 ἤνεγκ’ ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-396-3 κακότατ’ ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-396-4 In the MS. reading,

ἤνεγκον—ἤνεγκον ἄκων μέν, ἄκων

is wrong, since metre requires u- (cp. 510). With Bothe's ἑκὼν the sense would be:—

"I have endured misery through acts which were my own, indeed: but not one of them was done knowingly."

The objections to this are insuperable. (1)

mvp-comment-396-5 θεὸς ἴστω ³¹⁸

mvp-comment-396-6 It would be a subtlety foreign to Sophocles to make Oedipus say that he had acted

ἑκὼν

when he did not act

φρονῶν

(271),

εἰδώς

(273),

ξυνιείς

(976). Il. 4.43

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σοὶ δῶκα ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ

is irrelevant:— Zeus there says to Hera

"I have given thee this (thy pleasure touching Troy) of my free will "

(since neither god nor man could compel Zeus),

"yet against mine own wish. "

mvp-comment-397-1 αὐθαίρετον ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-398-1 κακᾷ εὐνᾷ ³²⁰

mvp-comment-399-1 ἦ ματρόθεν … ἐπλήσω ³²¹

mvp-comment-399-2 ματρόθεν ³²²

mvp-comment-400-1 ἀκούειν ³²³

mvp-comment-401-1 The constr. is

αὗται δὲ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δύο μὲν παῖδε, δύο δ’ ἄτα … ἀπέβλαστον

etc.

mvp-comment-401-2 ἐξ ἐμοῦ ³²⁴

mvp-comment-401-3 αὗται … παῖδε ³²⁵

mvp-comment-402-1 Poetical Greek idiom would join κοινᾶς with ὠδῖνος rather than with ματρός . Cp. Aesch. Eum. 325

ματρῷον ἅγνισμα κύριον φόνου

: Ant. 793

νεῖκος ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον.

mvp-comment-402-2 κοινᾶς ³²⁶

mvp-comment-403-1 σαί τ’ εἴσ’ ἄῤ ³²⁷

mvp-comment-403-2 κοιναί ³²⁸

mvp-comment-403-3 πατρὸς ³²⁹

mvp-comment-404-1 ἰώ — ἰὼ δῆτα ³³⁰

mvp-comment-404-2 γε ³³¹

mvp-comment-404-3 ἐπιστροφαί ³³²

mvp-comment-405-1 ἄλαστ’ ἔχειν ³³³

mvp-comment-406-1 οὐκ ἔρεξα ³³⁴

mvp-comment-406-2 τί γάρ ³³⁵

mvp-comment-407-1 δῶρον ³³⁶

mvp-comment-407-2 The MS. ἐπωφέλησα ,

"I benefited,"

"succoured"

(cp. 441), cannot be right. The sense required is

μήποτε ὤφελον ἐξελέσθαι

"would that I had never won!"

cp. Ph. 969

μήποτ’ ὤφελον λιπεῖν | τὴν Σκῦρον

: Od. 11.548

ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν

: where

μή

, though thus placed, belongs to the infinitives. See Appendix for the attempted explanations of

ἐπωφέλησα

, and for some proposed emendations.

mvp-comment-407-3 I would read the partic. ἐπωφελήσας (which the iambic metre allows), and take ἐξελέσθαι as the absol. infin. expressing a wish:—

"and would that I had never received that choice gift from the city, for having served her."

For this absol. infin., with the subject in the nominative, cp. Aesch. Cho. 363:

ΗΛ. μηδ’ ὑπὸ Τρωΐας

τείχεσι φθίμενος, πάτερ,

μετ’ ἄλλων δουρικμῆτι λαῷ

παρὰ Σκαμάνδρου πόρον τεθάφθαι,

πάρος δ’ οἱ κτανόντες νιν οὕτως δαμῆναι

. Orestes had uttered the wish that Agamemnon had fallen in war at Troy:

εἰ γὰρ ὑπ’ Ἰλίῳ | … κατηναρίσθης

(345 ff.) . Electra modifies it:

"I would not have had thee to perish e'en beneath Troy's walls, and to be buried by Scamander's stream; would rather that the murderers (Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra) had first been slain as they slew thee!"

Here the MSS. have

τέθαψαι

and

δαμῆναι

. On the latter the schol. has

λείπει τὸ ὄφελον

, and on the former

λείπει τὸ ὤφελες

, thus indicating the certain correction of H. L. Ahrens,

τεθάφθαι

. Cp. also Od. 24.376

αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον,

οἷος Νήρικον εἷλον, …

τοῖος ἐών τοι χθιζὸς ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν,

τεύχε’ ἔχων ὤμοισιν, ἐφεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν,

"Ah, would to father Zeus,...that, such as I was when I took Nericus,...in such might, and with armour on my shoulders, I had stood by thee , and had been aiding thee , yesterday in our house!"

A criticism by Wecklein is discussed in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-407-4 ἐξελέσθαι ³³⁷

mvp-comment-408-1 τί γάρ ³³⁸

mvp-comment-409-1 δευτέραν ³³⁹

mvp-comment-410-1 ἔχει δέ μοι … πρὸς δίκας τι ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-410-2 τί γάρ ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-411-1 The MSS. give

καὶ γὰρ ἄλλους ἐφόνευσα κ.τ.λ.

Hermann's ἁλοὺς (for

ἄλλους

) must mean either (1)

"caught,"

as in a net, by fate , or (2)

"caught"

by Laïus and his men, in the sense of,

"driven to fight for life."

Neither sense is tolerable. Campbell suggests,

"I murdered, and was convicted of the murder,"

saying that

ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα

ἑάλων φονεύσας

. This is as if one said in English,

"Having been hanged, he did the murder."

To ἀγνώς the short

α^

would be a grave objection: Soph. has the first

long thrice in

ἄγνοια

, twice in

ἀγνοεῖν

, once in

ἀγνώς

( O. T. 681 ), and short never: even in

αὐτόγνωτος

( Ant. 875 ) the

is long. Porson's ἄνους could hardly mean,

"without understanding"

merely in the sense of

" unwittingly. "

The word means

"silly,"

"foolish"

( Ant. 281 ), and should here mean,

"in folly,"

which is not an apt sense.

mvp-comment-411-2 And all these corrections, confined to ἄλλους , leave a blot. After ἐφόνευσα, καὶ ὤλεσα is intolerably weak. Mekler's καὶ γὰρ ἄν, οὓς ἐφόνευς), ἔμ’ ἀπώλεσαν brings out the point on which Oed. insists, and to which the words

νόμῳ καθαρός

(548) refer,—viz. that, in slaying, he was defending his own life. Cp. 271. After he had returned the blow of Laïus, the attendants set on him (see on O. T. 804 —812). The change of

ἐφόνευσ’ ἔμ’ ἀπώλεσαν

into

ἐφόνευσα καὶ ἀπώλεσα

(or

κἀπώλεσα

) would have been easy if

ἐφόνευσά μ’ ἀπώλεσα

had once been written. In Ai. 794 L has

ὥστε κ’ ὠδίνειν

instead of

ὥστε μ’ ὠδίνειν

. Cp. Her. 1.11 (Gyges was forced)

ἢ τὸν δεσπότεα ἀπολλύναι ἢ αὐτὸν ὑπ’ ἄλλων ἀπόλλυσθαι

mvp-comment-412-1 νόμῳ … καθαρός ³⁴²

mvp-comment-412-2 ἐς τόδ’ ἦλθον ³⁴³

mvp-comment-414-1 ὀμφήν ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-414-2 ἐφ’ ἁστάλη ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-415-1 The

σκοπός

, who did not know the name of Oed., could describe the traces of wounds about the sightless eyes, and brought the mysterious message (72). Theseus then set out, surmising who it was. Meanwhile the name of Oed. had become known at Colonus (222), and wayfarers who met Theseus raised his surmise into certain knowledge. Cp. on ff.

mvp-comment-415-2 ἔν τε ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-416-1 ἔγνωκά ς’ ³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-416-2 ἔγνωκα ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-417-1 ἀκούων ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-417-2 For

ἀκούων

it may be pleaded that the sense is at least quite intelligible, and that ancient writers, even the most artistic, were less careful than moderns in avoiding such repetitions of single words. Cp. 631

ἐκβάλοι

, 636

ἐκβαλῶ

: 638, 640

ἡδύ

: 966, 969

ἐπεί

: 1000, 1003

καλόν

, 1004

καλῶς

: 1123, 1129: 1451, 1459: 1487 f.: O. T. 517

φέρον

, 519

φέροντι

, 520

φέρει

: ib. 1276, 1278

ὁμοῦ

: Ant. 73 , 76

κείσομαι

: Ai. 1201 , 1204 (

τέρψιν

mvp-comment-418-1 σκευή ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-418-2 δύστηνον ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-419-1 ὄνθ’ ὃς εἶ ³⁵²

mvp-comment-420-1 )περέσθαι ³⁵³

mvp-comment-421-1 ἐπέστης ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-421-2 πόλεως … ἐμοῦ τ; ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-422-1 ἂν … τύχοις … ἐξαφισταίμην ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-422-2 πρᾶξιν ³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-423-1 ξένος ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-424-1 καὶ ὡς ἤθλησα πλεῖστα εἷς ἀνήρ ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-424-2 ἐπὶ ξένης ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-425-1 κινδυνεύματ’ ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-425-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ ³⁶² κάρᾳ ³⁶³

mvp-comment-426-1 ξένον ³⁶⁴

mvp-comment-426-2 συνεκσῴζειν ³⁶⁵

mvp-comment-427-1 ἀνὴρ ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-428-1 δοῦ ³⁶⁷

mvp-comment-429-1 τὸ σὸν γενναῖον ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-430-1 παρῆκεν ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-430-2 ὥστε ἐμοὶ δεῖσθαι ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-430-3 δεῖσθαι ³⁷¹

mvp-comment-430-4 For the dat. ἐμοί with

δεῖσθαι

(instead of

ἐμέ

as subj. to

φράσαι

) cp. Eur. Hipp. 940

θεοῖσι προσβαλεῖν χθονὶ | ἄλλην δεήσει γαῖαν

: and see on . Wecklein takes

ἐμοί

with

παρῆκεν

, permisit mihi , but the interposed ὥστε forbids this. The conject. σοι (for

ἐμοί

"to say little to thee ,"

would be very weak.

mvp-comment-431-1 Theseus has named Oed. (557) and Laïus (553), but not Thebes. A knowledge of the stranger's country was implied by the rest. Cp. on 205

. γῆς could stand with

ἦλθον

(cp. O. T. 152

Πυθῶνος ἔβας

, Ph. 630

νεὼς ἄγοντα

), but is more simply governed by

ἀπὸ

mvp-comment-432-1 χὡ λόγος διοίχεται ³⁷²

mvp-comment-432-2 διέρχεται ³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-433-1 τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-434-1 τὰ δὲ | κέρδη ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-435-1 που ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-436-1 ποίῳ ³⁷⁸

mvp-comment-436-2 προσφορὰ ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-436-3 δηλώσεται ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-437-1 i.e.

"You ask for the last offices which piety can render: you do not ask me for protection during your lifetime."

Through the oracle (389), of which Theseus knows nothing, a grave in Attica had become the supreme concern of Oedipus.

mvp-comment-437-2 τὰ δ’ ἐν μέσῳ ³⁸¹

mvp-comment-437-3 δῑ οὐδενὸς ποεῖ ³⁸²

mvp-comment-438-1 ἐνταῦθα γάρ ³⁸³

mvp-comment-439-1 ἐν βραχεῖ ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-440-1 γε μήν ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-441-1 πότερα ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-441-2 ἐγγενῶν ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-441-3 κἀμοῦ ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-442-1 Kayser's ἄναξ, χρῄζουσι (for ἀναγκάζουσι ) is exactly what the sense requires, and is fairly near to the MS. reading, while the latter is (I think) certainly corrupt. The verse must not be considered alone, but in close connection with 590, and with the whole context. It has been rendered:—(1)

"They are for compelling ( my protectors ) to convey me to Thebes."

But the ellipse of

τινά

before

κομίζειν

is intolerable. And the protectors could not be required to do more than surrender him. Therefore it is no cure to propose εἴ σ’ (for

κεῖσ’

)

ἀναγκάσουσί με

. To read

σε

for

με

merely shifts the first difficulty, and leaves the second. (2)

"They are for putting constraint on me, so as to carry (me) to Thebes."

Such an epexegesis by the act. infin. is impossible here. Who could write

ἀναγκάζει σε ἄγειν ἐκεῖσε

, meaning,

"he is forcing thee, so as to take (thee) thither"

? (3)

κομίζειν

has been taken as=

"to return,"

κομίζεσθαι

. This needs no comment. We want either: (1) instead of κομίζειν , a word=

" to return "

; but

κατελθεῖν

is very unlikely, and no other substitute is obvious: or (2) instead of ἀναγκάζουσι , a word =

"they wish , seek. "

That the fault lies in

ἀναγκάζουσι

is very strongly suggested by 590, where L has ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντ’ ἄν γ’ , evidently corrupted, by dittographia of

γ’

, from

ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντά γ’

, which L2 has. This gives a clear and fitting sense, if in 589 we read ἄναξ, χρῄζουσί με . All the trouble, for the MSS. and for the edd., has arisen from

ἀναγκάζουσι

. Hence (1) Goebel, ἀλλ’ οὐ θελόντων ,

"but if they do not wish thee"

(

φεύγειν

): (2) Reisig, ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντάς γ’ ,

"but what if it be not seemly for thee to shun them when willing (to receive thee)?"

Both these are forced. Campbell supplies

εἰ βούλοιντο κομίζειν

to explain

θέλοντα

, keeping L's

θέλοντ’ ἄν

: but

ἄν

can stand with a partic. only when the latter is equiv. to an apodosis, as it is in 761. So far as the tense of

ἀναγκάζουσι

is concerned, a change to the fut. is no gain: it is the pres. of tendency or intention. But the whole mention of compulsion or violence is premature in 589. Oed. leads very gently up to the disclosure of his sons' unnatural conduct (599).

mvp-comment-443-1 οὐδὲ σοὶ ³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-443-2 οὐδέ ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-443-3 φεύγειν ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-444-1 ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ³⁹²

mvp-comment-444-2 παρίεσαν ³⁹³

mvp-comment-445-1 θυμὸς δ’ ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-445-2 ξύμφορον ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-446-1 μάθῃς μου ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-447-1 ξυμφορὰν ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-447-2 ἐρεῖς ³⁹⁸

mvp-comment-448-1 μεῖζον ἢ κατ’ ἄνθρ. ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-448-2 νοσεῖς ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-449-1 Instead of

οὐκ ἔστι μοι κατελθεῖν ποτε

, we have

ἔστι μοι κατελθεῖν μήποτε

, since

ἔστι μοι

"my doom is,"

ζημία κεῖταί μοι

.—Cp. on .

mvp-comment-450-1 πεμψαίαθ’ ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-450-2 ὥστ’ οἰκεῖν δίχα ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-450-3 ὥστε ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-451-1 ἐξαναγκάσει ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-452-1 ὅτι ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-452-2 τῇδε … χθονί ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-453-1 τἀμὰ κἀκείνων ⁴⁰⁷

mvp-comment-454-1 γῆρας … κατθανεῖν ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-455-1 συγχεῖ ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-455-2 παγκρατὴς ⁴¹⁰

mvp-comment-456-1 φθίνει μὲν … φθίνει δὲ ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-456-2 γῆς ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-457-1 βλαστάνει ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-458-1 πνεῦμα ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-459-1 βέβηκεν ⁴¹⁷

mvp-comment-459-2 πόλει ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-460-1 τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἤδη ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-460-2 ἤδη ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-460-3 καὖθις φίλα ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-461-1 Θήβαις ⁴²²

mvp-comment-462-1 καλῶς ⁴²³

mvp-comment-462-2 τὰ ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-462-3 τὸ πρὸς σέ ⁴²⁵

mvp-comment-462-4 ὁ μυρίος ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-463-1 τεκνοῦται ⁴²⁷

mvp-comment-463-2 ἰών ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-464-1 ἐν αἷς ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-464-2 δεξιώματα ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-465-1 δόρει διασκεδῶσιν ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-465-2 δόρει ⁴³²

mvp-comment-466-1 ἵν’ ⁴³³

mvp-comment-466-2 εὕδων ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-467-1 ψυχρὸς … θερμὸν ⁴³⁵

mvp-comment-468-1 σαφής ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-469-1 τἀκίνητα ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-470-1 ἔα με ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-470-2 τὸ σὸν … πιστὸν φυλάσσων ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-471-1 εἴπερ μὴ ψεύσουσι ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-471-2 εἴπερ ⁴⁴¹

mvp-comment-472-1 πάλαι ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-473-1 ἐφαίνετο τελῶν ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-474-1 δῆτ’ ⁴⁴⁵

mvp-comment-474-2 ἐκβάλοι ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-475-1 ὅτῳ ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-475-2 κοινή ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-475-3 αἰέν ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-475-4 δορύξενος ⁴⁵⁰

mvp-comment-475-5 Wecklein brackets the whole passage from 632

ὅτῳ

down to 637

τὴν τοῦδε

"a later addition,"

because (1) there could be no

ξενία

when Oedipus did not even know the name of Theseus (68), and (2)

σεβισθεὶς

in 636 is suspicious. On this, see ad loc. As to (1), the

ξενία

to which Theseus refers is not a personal friendship, but a hereditary alliance between the royal houses, as in Eur. Suppl. 930 Polyneices (whom he had not seen before) is his

ξένος

. Cp. on . After Wecklein's excision, we have

τίς δῆτ’ ἂν ἀνδρὸς εὐμένειαν ἐκβάλοι

τοιοῦδε; χώρᾳ δ’ ἔμπαλιν κατοικιῶ

. This is incoherent.

mvp-comment-476-1 ἀφιγμένος ⁴⁵¹

mvp-comment-476-2 δασμός ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-477-1 The aor. σεβισθεὶς only here:

σεβίζειν

1007 ,

σεβίσασα

Ant. 943 ,

σεβίζομαι ⁴⁵³

Aesch. Suppl. 922 . In later Gk. the pass. aor. of σεβάζομαι was deponent, as Anth. P. 7. 122

αἴ, αἲ Πυθαγόρης τί τόσον κυάμους ἐσεβάσθη;

It appears rash to deny that ἐσεβίσθην could be so used. The deponent use of

ἐσέφθην

is attested only by Plat. Phaedr. 254 B

( σεφθεῖσα )

, and Hesych. 1. 1456

ἐσέφθην· ἐσεβάσθην, ἡσύχασα, ᾐσχύνθην. Σοφοκλῆς Δαιδάλῳ

(fr. 168 Nauck).

mvp-comment-477-2 ἐκβαλῶ ⁴⁵⁴

mvp-comment-478-1 ἔμπολιν ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-478-2 ἔμπαλιν ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-478-3 δέ ⁴⁵⁷

mvp-comment-479-1 σέ ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-480-1 εἰ δὲ τόδε — στείχειν μετ’ ἐμοῦ, — ἡδύ ἐστι — δίδωμί σοι, τούτων κρίναντι ( ὁπότερον βούλει ), χρῆσθαι ( αὐτᾦ ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-480-2 τούτων ⁴⁶⁰

mvp-comment-480-3 δίδωμι … χρῆσθαι ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-480-4 With

εἴτ’ ἐμοῦ

, the constr. would be,

εἴτε μετ’ ἐμοῦ στείχειν

(

ἡδὺ αὐτῷ ἐστι, στείχειν πάρεστιν

), a word expressing consent being evolved from

τάξω

. But (1) this is harsher than O. T. 91

εἰ τῶνδε χρῄζεις πλησιαζόντων κλύειν

ἕτοιμος εἰπεῖν, εἴτε καὶ στείχειν ἔσω

(

χρῄζεις

), where

ἕτοιμος

is more easily fitted to the second clause; though somewhat similar is Eur. Ion 1120

πεπυσμέναι γάρ, εἰ θανεῖν ἡμᾶς ⁴⁶² χρεών,

ἥδιον ἂν θάνοιμεν, εἴθ’ ὁρᾶν φάος

(

χρεών

), sc.

ἥδιον ἂν ὁρῷμεν

. And (2) in proposing the second alternative,—that Oed. should accompany him,—it is more suitable that he should address Oed. himself.

mvp-comment-480-5 τῇδε ⁴⁶³

mvp-comment-480-6 ξυνοίσομαι ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-481-1 διδοίης … εὖ ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-482-1 δόμους στείχειν ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-483-1 εἰ … ἦν ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-484-1 ἐν ᾧ τί πράξεις ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-485-1 κρατήσω ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-486-1 μέγ’ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-486-2 τῆς συνουσίας ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-486-3 τῆς ς. ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-487-1 εἰ σοί γ’ | ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ ⁴⁷³

mvp-comment-488-1 τὸ τοῦδέ γ’ ἀνδρ ⁴⁷⁴

mvp-comment-489-1 ὡς κακὸν ⁴⁷⁵

mvp-comment-490-1 ἢ λόγῳ ⁴⁷⁶

mvp-comment-491-1 τοῦ μάλιστ’ ὄκνος σ’ ἔχει ⁴⁷⁸

mvp-comment-492-1 ὅρα με λείπων ⁴⁷⁹

mvp-comment-493-1 ὀκνοῦντ’ ἀνάγκη ⁴⁸⁰

mvp-comment-494-1 οὐκ οἶσθ’ ⁴⁸¹

mvp-comment-494-2 μή ⁴⁸²

mvp-comment-495-1 — 660 Many emendations of 658 f. have been proposed, and Wecklein would reject the three verses altogether. To me they seem not only authentic but textually sound. They picture a tumult of passions in the soul, presently quelled by reason. The angry threats and the sobering reason are alike personified. The genuineness of the nominative πολλαὶ δ’ ἀπειλαὶ is confirmed by the imagery of the second clause, ἀλλ’ ὁ νοῦς ὅταν . For this animated personification of speech or passion, cp. Aesch. Cho. 845

ἢ πρὸς γυναικῶν δειματούμενοι λόγοι

πεδάρσιοι θρώσκουσι, θνῄσκοντες μάτην

: Eur. Hipp. 1416

οὐδὲ γῆς ὑπὸ ζόφῳ

θεᾶς ἄτιμοι Κύπριδος ἐκ προθυμίας

ὀργαὶ κατασκήψουσιν ἐς τὸ σὸν δέμας

. The cognate verb κατηπείλησαν (gnomic aorist), instead of the simple

ἔλεξαν

, gives an emphasis like that which the cogn. accus. would give in

πολλοὶ ἀπειλὰς κατηπείλησαν.

mvp-comment-495-2 θυμῷ ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-496-1 αὑτοῦ ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-496-2 φροῦδα ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-497-1 κείνοις ⁴⁸⁶

mvp-comment-497-2 καὶ εἰ ἐπερρώσθη ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-497-3 λέγειν ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-497-4 We cannot read

κεῖνος

, since the pl. is needed. The best solution would be

κείνοις δέ, κεἴ τις

, from which

ἴσως κεἰ

might have come through a transposition. But the sarcastic

mvp-comment-497-5 ἴσως ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-497-6 κεἰ ⁴⁹⁰

mvp-comment-498-1 τὸ δεῦρο ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-499-1 θαρσεῖν μὲν οὖν ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-499-2 κἄνευ τῆς ἐμῆς γνώμης ⁴⁹³

mvp-comment-499-3 ἐπαινῶ ⁴⁹⁴

mvp-comment-499-4 Φοῖβος ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-500-1 ὅμως ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-502-1 The first word εὐίππου strikes a note which connects Colonus ἵππιος with the fame of Attica. Take

γᾶς

with

κράτιστα

. You have come to earth's best abodes ( Colonus ), belonging to this

εὔιππος χώρα

( Attica ). The gen. εὐίπ. τ. χώρας is most simply taken as possessive, denoting the country to which the

ἔπαυλα

belong, though it might also be partitive. It precedes

ἔπαυλα

as the territorial gen. regularly precedes the local name, Her. 3.136

ἀπίκοντο τῆς Ἰταλίης ἐς Τάραντα

mvp-comment-503-1 γᾶς ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-503-2 ἔπαυλα ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-504-1 τὸν ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-504-2 ἀργῆτα ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-505-1 μινύρεται θαμίζουσα ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-506-1 χλω. ὑπὸ βάσσαις ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-507-1 The reading ἀνέχουσα is usually justified by Ai. 212

( σε ) στέρξας ἀνέχει

, "having conceived a love for thee, he upholds thee"; and Eur. Hec. 123

βάκχης ἀνέχων λέκτρ’ Ἀγαμέμνων

, "upholding," i.e. "refusing to forsake," "remaining constant to." But how could the bird be said to "uphold" the ivy in that sense? In Thuc. 2.18 and 7. 48

ἀνεῖχεν

is intrans., "he held back" cautiously. Of the two MS. readings, οἰνωπὰν ἔχουσα and οἰνῶπ’ ἀνέχουσα , the latter seems to have come from the former, not vice versa.

οἰνωπός

is a good Attic form (used four times by Eur.), and

οἰνωπὸν ἔχουσα

is nearer to the MSS. than Dindorf's

οἰνῶπα νέμουσα

. The latter word would mean,

"having for her domain."

mvp-comment-508-1 The ivy and the vine (17) being sacred to Dionysus ( θεοῦ ), the foliage of the place generally is called his.

θεοῦ

is certainly not the hero Colonus (65) . We might desire θεᾶν (the Eumenides), but the

φυλλάς

meant is not only that of the sacred grove; it includes the Academy.

mvp-comment-508-2 μυριόκαρπον ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-509-1 ἀνήνεμον … χειμώνων ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-510-1 βακχιώτας ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐμβατεύει ⁵⁰⁶

mvp-comment-511-2 ἀμφιπολῶν ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-511-3 tiqh/nais ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-512-1 θάλλει δ’ ⁵¹⁰

mvp-comment-513-1 νάρκισσος ⁵¹¹

mvp-comment-513-2 μεγάλαιν θεαῖν ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-514-1 ἀρχαῖον στεφάνωμ’ ⁵¹³

mvp-comment-515-1 χρυσαυγὴς κρόκος ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-516-1 κρῆναι ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-516-2 μινύθουσιν ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-517-1 Κηφισοῦ ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-517-2 νομάδες ⁵¹⁹

mvp-comment-518-1 ἐπ’ ἤματι ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-519-1 ὠκυτόκος ⁵²³

mvp-comment-519-2 πεδίων ἐπινίσσεται ⁵²⁴

mvp-comment-520-1 ὄμβρῳ ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-521-1 στ. χθονός ⁵²⁶

mvp-comment-521-2 στερνούχου ⁵²⁷

mvp-comment-521-3 Μουσᾶν ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-522-1 νιν ⁵²⁹

mvp-comment-522-2 οὐδ’ ἁ ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-522-3 Ἀφροδίτη ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-522-4 χρυσάνιος ⁵³²

mvp-comment-523-1 Thus far the theme has been Colonus and the adjacent region. Now the praises take a larger range. Athena's gift of the olive, Poseidon's gift of the horse, are here celebrated as common to Attica (

τᾷδε χώρᾳ

, 700, cp. 668): though the latter had a special interest for Colonus Hippius, and the former for the Academy, where an olive was shown, said to have sprung up next after the primal olive in the

Πανδροσεῖον

of the Erechtheum ( Paus. 1.30.2 ).

mvp-comment-523-2 γᾶς Ἀσίας ⁵³³

mvp-comment-524-1 Δωρίδι ⁵³⁴

mvp-comment-524-2 νάσῳ ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-524-3 Πέλοπος ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-525-1 φύτευμ’ ⁵³⁸

mvp-comment-525-2 ἀχείρωτον ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-526-1 φόβημα ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-527-1 τᾷδε … χώρᾳ ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-527-2 μέγιστα ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-528-1 παιδοτρόφου ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-529-1 τὸ μέν τις ⁵⁴⁴

mvp-comment-529-2 σημαίνων ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-529-3 Now comes this question:—Was the antithesis here between youth and age , or between some other notions? Hartung writes

οὔτ’ ἦρος οὔτε γήρᾳ

, understanding,

"neither in spring nor in winter ,"

σημαίνων

"by his word of command"

: but such a fig. sense of

γήρᾳ

is inconceivable. Nauck's

οὔτ’ ἦρος οὔτ’ ἐν ὥρᾳ | χειμώνων

is too far from the MSS., and the plur. is strange. I incline to believe that the poet indeed meant

"neither young nor old,"

but without any personal reference, and merely in this general sense:—

"from generation to generation of men these sacred trees are safe."

The words

ὁ γὰρ αἰὲν ὁρῶν

suit this. The conjecture συνναίων has palaeographic probability (for a cursive text): for the phrase cp. Eur. fr. 370

μετὰ δ’ ἡσυχίας πολιῷ γήραϊ συνοικοίην

mvp-comment-530-1 κύκλος ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-531-1 Μορίου Διός ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-531-2 Μορίου ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-532-1 γλαυκῶπις ⁵⁴⁹

mvp-comment-533-1 This antistrophe is devoted to Poseidon, as the strophe to Athena.

mvp-comment-533-2 ματρόπολει ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-534-1 If vv. 696 f. are sound as they stand, the problem here is to supply uu , and Porson's χθονὸς seems best.

μεγάλου...μέγιστον, αὔχημα...αὔχημα

(713) must not be judged with modern fastidiousness: see on .

mvp-comment-535-1 εὔιππον, εὔπωλον ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-535-2 εὔιππον ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-535-3 εὐθάλασσον ⁵⁵³

mvp-comment-535-4 εὔιππον, εὐθάλασσον ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-536-1 σὺ γάρ ⁵⁵⁵

mvp-comment-537-1 εἷσας ⁵⁵⁶

mvp-comment-538-1 ἵπποισιν ⁵⁵⁷

mvp-comment-538-2 ἀκεστῆρα ⁵⁵⁸

mvp-comment-539-1 πρώταισι ταῖσδε … ἀγυιαῖς ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-539-2 κτίσας ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-540-1 Poseidon has taught men to row as well as to ride. He fits the oars to their hands. But, instead of

τὰν δὲ πλάταν χερσὶ παράψας

, the form is varied to a passive constr. If παραπτομένα is sound, this seems the best account of it,—

παρά

"at the side,"

suggesting the notion,

"as an aid."

(If from

παραπέτομαι

, it could be only aor., which the sense excludes.) Conjecture might proceed on either of two views:—( a ) that in the strophic v. 704 the correction αἰὲν is true, so that

παραπτομένα

is metrically sound: ( b ) that in 704 the MS. εἰσαιὲν is true, so that here we require u--uu- . On the latter view I would suggest that προσαρμοζομένα is suitable, and on this

παραπτομένα

may have been a gloss; cp. Eur. I. T. 1405 (

χέρας

)

κώπῃ προσαρμόσαντες

mvp-comment-540-2 εὐήρετμος ⁵⁶¹

mvp-comment-540-3 ἔκπαγλα ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-540-4 ἁλία ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-541-1 τῶν ἑκατομπόδων Νηρῄδων ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-543-1 σὸν … δὴ ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-543-2 φαίνειν τὰ λαμπρὰ ἔπη ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-544-1 The

ἀντιλαβή

(division of the verse between two persons) marks excitement: cp. 652, 1099, 1169.

mvp-comment-545-1 ἡμῖν ⁵⁶⁷

mvp-comment-546-1 φαίνοιτ’ ἄν ⁵⁶⁸

mvp-comment-546-2 τέρμα τῆς σωτηρίας ⁵⁶⁹

mvp-comment-547-1 παρέσται ⁵⁷⁰

mvp-comment-547-2 ἐγώ ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-548-1 ὀμμάτων ⁵⁷²

mvp-comment-548-2 εἰληφότας ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-548-3 νεώρη ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-549-1 ὃν ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-550-1 ὡς ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-550-2 δρᾶν τι ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-551-1 εἴ τιν’ ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-552-1 τηλικόσδ’ ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-553-1 οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς στείλαντος ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-553-2 ἀστῶν ⁵⁸¹

mvp-comment-554-1 ἧκέ μοι γένει ⁵⁸²

mvp-comment-554-2 γένει ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-555-1 εἰς πλεῖστον πόλεως ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-555-2 εἰς ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-556-1 ἀλλ’ ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-557-1 δικαίως ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-557-2 ἐκ δὲ τῶν ⁵⁸⁸

mvp-comment-558-1 ὅσῳπερ ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-558-2 πλειστον … κάκιστος ⁵⁹⁰

mvp-comment-559-1 ξένον ⁵⁹¹

mvp-comment-559-2 ἐπὶ μιᾶς πρ ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-560-1 τὴν ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-560-2 τάλας ⁵⁹⁴

mvp-comment-561-1 οὐκ ἔδοξα πεσεῖν ἄν ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-561-2 ἐς τοσοῦτον αἰκίας ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-561-3 ὅσον ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-561-4 ἥδε δύσμορος ⁵⁹⁸

mvp-comment-562-1 τὸ σὸν κάρα ⁵⁹⁹

mvp-comment-563-1 πτωχῷ ⁶⁰⁰

mvp-comment-563-2 τηλικοῦτος ⁶⁰¹

mvp-comment-564-1 τοὐπιόντος ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-565-1 ἆῤ ⁶⁰³

mvp-comment-565-2 ὦ τάλας ⁶⁰⁴

mvp-comment-566-1

"I have uttered a cruel reproach against my kindred and myself. But indeed the reproach is one that cannot be hid, so long as thou and thy daughter are seen wandering thus. Hide it, then, thou (no one else can)—by coming home."

Unless we correct νυν to νιν (=

τὰ ἐμφανῆ

), it is better to place a point, and not merely a comma, at κρύπτειν :

" But (I have some excuse) for ,"

etc.,—the elliptical use of ἀλλ’ οὐ γάρ , as at 988, El. 595 , Tr. 552 . So the schol.:

ὥστε συγγνώμης εἰμὶ ἄξιος λέγων· οὐ γὰρ δύναμαι κρύπτειν

. With only a comma at

κρύπτειν, ἀλλά

would belong to κρύψον :

"But,— since it is impossible, etc.—hide thou,"

—when the position of νυν is awkward.—So in O. T. 1424 Creon urges the Theban elders to take Oed. into the house, forbidding them

τοιόνδ’ ἄγος | ἀκάλυπτον οὕτω δεικνύναι

mvp-comment-567-1 πρὸς θεῶν πατρῴων ⁶⁰⁵

mvp-comment-568-1 θελήσας ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-568-2 ἄστυ ⁶⁰⁸

mvp-comment-569-1 εἰπών ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-569-2 ἡ δ’ οἴκοι ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-570-1 παντὸς ⁶¹¹

mvp-comment-570-2 ἂν φέρων ⁶¹²

mvp-comment-571-1 In L's πείρᾶι (sic) we trace the wish of Didymus (schol.) to read πείρᾳ , i.e.

"by a stratagem."

It would then be necessary to take κἀμὲ as=

" even me"

(who have had such experiences).

mvp-comment-571-2 πειρᾷ ⁶¹³

mvp-comment-571-3 δεύτερον … ἑλεῖν ⁶¹⁴

mvp-comment-571-4 ἐν οἷς ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-571-5 μάλιστ’ ἂν ἀλγοίην ⁶¹⁶

mvp-comment-572-1 πρόσθεν τε ⁶¹⁷

mvp-comment-572-2 οἰκείοις ⁶¹⁸

mvp-comment-573-1 νοσοῦνθ’ ⁶¹⁹

mvp-comment-574-1 οὐκ ἤθελες θέλοντι ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-574-2 προσθέσθαι ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-575-1 ἦ ⁶²²

mvp-comment-575-2 μεστὸς ⁶²³

mvp-comment-576-1 ἐξεώθεις κἀξέβ ⁶²⁵

mvp-comment-577-1 τοῦτ’ ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-578-1 πόλιν ⁶²⁷ γένος ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-579-1 μετασπᾶν ⁶²⁹

mvp-comment-579-2 σκληρὰ μαλθακῶς λέγων ⁶³⁰

mvp-comment-580-1 αὕτη ⁶³²

mvp-comment-580-2 τίς τέρψις ⁶³³

mvp-comment-580-3 φιλεῖν ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-580-4 τοσαύτη ⁶³⁵

mvp-comment-581-1 ὥσπερ ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-581-2 τις ⁶³⁷

mvp-comment-581-3 τυχεῖν ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-582-1 ὧν χρῄζοις ⁶³⁹

mvp-comment-583-1 ἡ χάρις ⁶⁴⁰

mvp-comment-584-1 ἆῤ ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-585-1 καὶ σὺ ⁶⁴²

mvp-comment-586-1 λόγῳ … τοῖσι δ’ ἔργοισιν ⁶⁴³

mvp-comment-587-1 καὶ τοῖσδ’ ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-588-1 πάραυλον ⁶⁴⁵

mvp-comment-589-1 κακῶν ἄνατος ⁶⁴⁶

mvp-comment-589-2 τῆσδ’ ⁶⁴⁷

mvp-comment-589-3 ἀπαλλαχθῇ ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-590-1 ταῦτα … τάδ’ ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-590-2 χώρας ⁶⁵⁰

mvp-comment-591-1 τοσοῦτον, ἐνθανεῖν μόνον ⁶⁵¹

mvp-comment-591-2 ἐνθανεῖν ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-592-1 σαφεστέρων ⁶⁵⁴

mvp-comment-592-2 κλύω ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-593-1 τὸ σὸν … στόμα ⁶⁵⁶

mvp-comment-593-2 ὑπόβλητον ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-594-1 πολλὴν ἔχον στόμωσιν ⁶⁵⁸

mvp-comment-595-1 κακά ⁶⁵⁹ σωτήρια ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-596-1 If οἶδα is right (as it seems to be), μή can hardly be explained otherwise than by emphasis, i.e. by the strong assurance which the speaker expresses. But what form should the partic. have? (1) With the MS. πείθων , the sense is:

"However, I am assured that I am not persuading you of this,—go!"

In 656

οἶδ’ ἐγώ σε μήτινα

ἐνθένδ’ ἀπάξοντ’ ἄνδρα

appears to be a like case of strong assurance. Cp. O. T. 1455 . In 1121 there is another:

ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ τήνδε... τέρψιν παρ’ ἄλλου μηδενὸς πεφασμένην

. Here, however,

οἷδα μὴ πείθων

is so far stranger, that the emphasis appears less appropriate in stating the speaker's consciousness of what he himself is doing. (2) The v.l. πείθοντ’ , extant in at least one MS. (F), removes this objection.

"However, I am assured that you are not persuading (either the Athenians or me, cp. 803)—go!"

(3) πείσων would be liable to the same remark as

πείθων

. (4) πείσοντ’ would complete the parallelism with 656, but is not required by the

"strong assurance"

view, which applies to past (1121) or present as well as to future.—Another view is that μή gives a quasi-imperative force:

"I know that you shan't persuade."

This might apply to 656. Here it is much more difficult, esp. if we do not adopt

πείσοντ’

: in 1121 it fails.

mvp-comment-596-2 With

ἴσθι … με

for

οἶδα...δε

the imper. would explain μή (cp. on ): and we may note that in O. T. 376 the MSS. changed

σε...ἑμοῦ

into

με...σοῦ

. But the context confirms οἶδα .

mvp-comment-596-3 In later Greek

μή

with partic., in regard to fact , was common, as Luc. Dial. Mort. 16

πῶς οὖν ἀκριβὴς ὁ Αἰακὸς ὢν οὐ διέγνω δε μὴ ὄντα ἐκεῖνον

;

"failed to discern that you were not he,"

where

μὴ ὄντα

, though it might be paraphrased by

εἰ μὴ ἦσθα

, virtually=

ὅτι οὐκ ἦσθα

. In Mod. Greek the partic. always takes

μή

, not

δέν

. This latter tendency may conceivably have affected our MSS.: e.g.

τοιάδ’ οὐ πείθων

may have once stood here.

mvp-comment-597-1 εἰ τερποίμεθα ⁶⁶¹

mvp-comment-598-1 Which of us do you consider the greater sufferer by your present attitude? Me, because I am not to bring you back? Or yourself, when you reject your friends and country?

mvp-comment-598-2 δυστυχεῖν ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-598-3 ἐς τὰ σά ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-598-4 ἐν τῷ νῦν λόγῳ ⁶⁶⁴

mvp-comment-599-1 Creon had said, in effect,

" Your happiness is as much my object as our own."

" My happiness,"

Oed. rejoins,

"will be best secured if your application is rejected by the people of Colonus, as by myself."

mvp-comment-600-1 φύσας ⁶⁶⁵

mvp-comment-601-1 λῦμα ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-601-2 τρέφει ⁶⁶⁷

mvp-comment-602-1 Cp. O. T. 545

λέγειν σὺ δεινός

(Oed. to Creon).

mvp-comment-603-1 ἐξ ἅπαντος ⁶⁶⁸

mvp-comment-603-2 εὖ λέγει ⁶⁶⁹

mvp-comment-604-1 τὸ καίρια ⁶⁷⁰

mvp-comment-605-1 ὡς δὴ ⁶⁷¹

mvp-comment-606-1 ὅτῳ ⁶⁷²

mvp-comment-607-1 πρὸ τῶνδε ⁶⁷³

mvp-comment-608-1 ἐφορμῶν ⁶⁷⁴

mvp-comment-608-2 For με followed by ἐμέ , cp. El. 1359

ἀλλά με | λόγοις ἀπώλλυς, ἔργ’ ἔχων ἥδιστ’ ἐμοί

, where

ἐμοί

is not more emphatic than

με

. So in Tr. 1171

κἀδόκουν πράξειν καλῶς· | τὸ δ’ ἦν ἄρ’ οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν θανεῖν ἐμέ

, where there is no contrast between

ἐμέ

and some one else: Ant. 292

ὡς στέργειν ἐμέ

: Ph. 299

τὸ μὴ νοσεῖν ἐμέ

, where the stress is on the verb, not on the pronoun. And so here, too, it may be doubted whether ἐμέ conveys such an emphasis as would be given by an italicised

" my ,"

— implying a reproof of meddlesomeness. The stress is rather on χρὴ ναίειν : Apollo has brought him to this rest (89).

mvp-comment-609-1 This passage, which has been variously altered, appears to me to be sound as it stands in the MSS. Oedipus has undertaken to speak for the men of Attica (

ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῶνδε

). Creon refuses to identify him with them, bitterly reminding the Theban that his real ties are elsewhere.

"I call them—not thee— to witness my protest"

: i.e.

"I have a just claim on thee, which thou repellest:— I appeal to a judgment more impartial than thine own."

The words mark the point at which he drops persuasion. He now turns to menace.

"But, for the tone of thy reply to kinsmen"

(meaning, to himself, cp. on

σμικροῖς

"if I catch thee"

—an aposiopesis. (Cp. Il. 1.580

εἴπερ γάρ κ’ ἐθέλῃσιν Ὀλύμπιος ἀστεροπητὴς

ἐξ ἑδέων στυφελίξαι· ὁ γὰρ πολὺ φέρτερός ἐστιν

: Verg. Aen. 1. 135

Quos ego …

)

mvp-comment-609-2 μαρτύρομαι ⁶⁷⁵

mvp-comment-610-1 ἀνταμείβει ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-610-2 πρὸς ⁶⁷⁷

mvp-comment-610-3 οἷα ⁶⁷⁸

mvp-comment-611-1 τῶνδε συμμ ⁶⁷⁹

mvp-comment-612-1 ἦ μὴν ⁶⁸⁰

mvp-comment-612-2 κἄνευ τοῦδε ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-612-3 λυπηθεὶς ἔσει ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-613-1 ποίῳ σὺν ἔργῳ ⁶⁸³

mvp-comment-613-2 σὺν ⁶⁸⁴

mvp-comment-613-3 ἀπειλήσας ἔχεις ⁶⁸⁵

mvp-comment-614-1 τὴν μὲν ⁶⁸⁶

mvp-comment-615-1 τάδε ⁶⁸⁷

mvp-comment-616-1 The τήνδε γ’ of the MSS. could be retained only if μου were changed to καὶ and given to Creon.

mvp-comment-616-2 οὐ μακρ. χρόνου ⁶⁸⁸

mvp-comment-617-1 τὸν ἀσεβῆ ⁶⁸⁹

mvp-comment-618-1 θᾶσσον ⁶⁹⁰

mvp-comment-618-2 εἴργασαι ⁶⁹¹

mvp-comment-619-1 ὑμῖν ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-619-2 ἂν εἴη ⁶⁹³

mvp-comment-620-1 ποῖ φύγω ⁶⁹⁴

mvp-comment-620-2 θεῶν … ἢ βροτῶν; ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-621-1 οὐχ ἅψομαι ⁶⁹⁶

mvp-comment-621-2 τῆς ἐμῆς ⁶⁹⁷

mvp-comment-622-1 τοὺς ἐμοὺς ⁶⁹⁸

mvp-comment-623-1 — 886 The phrase

τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἄγω

indicates the moment at which Creon lays his hand on Antigone. It is followed by 11 verses, 833—843, in which the dochmiacs of the Chorus, blended with iambic trimeters, mark excitement. Antistrophic to these are the 11 verses, 876—886, which in like manner follow the moment at which Creon lays his hand on Oedipus. As a lyric interposition in dialogue, the passage has a kommatic character, though it does not constitute a

κομμός

proper in the same sense as 510—548, 1447—1499, or 1670— 1750.

mvp-comment-624-1 ἀφήσεις ⁶⁹⁹

mvp-comment-625-1 εἰς βάσανον εἶ χερῶν ⁷⁰⁰

mvp-comment-625-2 εἶ ⁷⁰¹

mvp-comment-626-1 εἴργου ⁷⁰²

mvp-comment-626-2 μωμένου ⁷⁰³

mvp-comment-627-1 πόλει ⁷⁰⁴

mvp-comment-628-1 οὐκ ἠγόρευον ⁷⁰⁵

mvp-comment-629-1 μὴ )πίτασσ’ ἃ μὴ κρατεῖς ⁷⁰⁶

mvp-comment-630-1 At Creon's words, when he laid his hand on Antigone (832), one of his guards stepped up, and placed himself at her side.

mvp-comment-630-2 χαλᾶν λέγω σοι ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-631-1 πρόβαθ’ … βᾶτε ⁷⁰⁸

mvp-comment-631-2 ὧδε ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-631-3 ἔντοποι ⁷¹⁰

mvp-comment-632-1 πόλις … σθένει ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-632-2 σθένει ⁷¹²

mvp-comment-633-1 μοι ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-634-1 ὦ τάλας ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-635-1 ἐκ τούτοιν … σκήπτροιν ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-635-2 ἐκ ⁷¹⁶

mvp-comment-635-3 σκήπτροιν ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-636-1 οδοιπορήσῃς ⁷¹⁸

mvp-comment-636-2 νικᾶν ⁷¹⁹

mvp-comment-637-1 τύραννος ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-638-1 γνώσει τάδε ⁷²¹

mvp-comment-638-2 αὑτὸν ⁷²²

mvp-comment-639-1 For δρᾷς followed by εἰργάσω , instead of

ἔδρασας

, cp. O. T. 54

ὡς εἴπερ ἄρξεις … ὥσπερ κρατεῖς

(n.).

mvp-comment-639-2 βίᾳ φίλων ⁷²³

mvp-comment-640-1 ὀργῇ χάριν δούς ⁷²⁴

mvp-comment-641-1 The guards, carrying off Antigone, have already left the scene (847); cp. 875

μοῦνος

. Creon is now about to follow them, when the Chorus again approach him, and protest that he shall not leave Colonus unless the two maidens are restored.

mvp-comment-642-1 τῶνδε ⁷²⁵

mvp-comment-643-1 ῥύσιον ⁷²⁶

mvp-comment-643-2 πόλει ⁷²⁷

mvp-comment-643-3 πόλει ⁷³⁰

mvp-comment-643-4 θήσεις πόλει ⁷³¹

mvp-comment-643-5 ἐφάψομαι ⁷³²

mvp-comment-644-1 After δεινὸν λέγοις (L), or λέγεις , a syllable has to be supplied conjecturally. Triclinius added ὡς ("be sure that," 45 ) before τοῦτο : but this mars the rhythm: and the simple fut. (as in 860 ) is more forcible. The optat. λέγοις of L, which is not likely to be a mere error for λέγεις , strongly favours Hermann's simple remedy, δεινὸν λέγοις ἄν , "'twere a dread deed that thou threatenest" (if only thou couldst do it): cp. on 647

μέγ’ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα

. Next to this, I should prefer Wecklein's

δεινὸς λόγοις εἶ

mvp-comment-644-2 πεπράξεται ⁷³³

mvp-comment-645-1 ἢν μή γ’ ⁷³⁴

mvp-comment-645-2 ἀπειργάθῃ ⁷³⁵

mvp-comment-646-1 φθέγμ’ ⁷³⁶

mvp-comment-647-1 αὐδῶ σιωπᾶν ⁷³⁷

mvp-comment-647-2 ἄφωνον … ἀρᾶς ⁷³⁸

mvp-comment-647-3 τῆς ⁷³⁹

mvp-comment-648-1 See Appendix on this passage.

mvp-comment-648-2 ὅς ⁷⁴⁰

mvp-comment-648-3 ψιλὸν ὄμμ’ ⁷⁴¹

mvp-comment-648-4 ψιλὸν ⁷⁴²

mvp-comment-648-5 ἀποσπάσας ⁷⁴³

mvp-comment-649-1 ἐξοίχει ⁷⁴⁴

mvp-comment-650-1 σέ τ’ αὐτὸν ⁷⁴⁵

mvp-comment-651-1 Ἥλιος ⁷⁴⁶

mvp-comment-651-2 βίον ⁷⁴⁷

mvp-comment-651-3 κἀμὲ ⁷⁴⁸

mvp-comment-652-1 ὁρᾶτε ⁷⁴⁹

mvp-comment-653-1 ἔργοις ⁷⁵⁰

mvp-comment-653-2 ῥήμασιν ⁷⁵¹

mvp-comment-654-1 μοῦνος ⁷⁵²

mvp-comment-654-2 βραδύς ⁷⁵³

mvp-comment-655-1 ἰὼ τάλας ⁷⁵⁴

mvp-comment-656-1 τάνδε ( πόλιν ) οὐκέτι πόλιν νεμῶ ⁷⁵⁵

mvp-comment-657-1 τοῖς … δικαίοις ⁷⁵⁶

mvp-comment-657-2 βραχὺς ⁷⁵⁷

mvp-comment-658-1 τά ⁷⁵⁸

mvp-comment-659-1 Ζεύς γ’ ἂν … σὺ δ’ οὔ ⁷⁵⁹

mvp-comment-660-1 ὕβρις ⁷⁶⁰

mvp-comment-660-2 ἀνεκτέα ⁷⁶¹

mvp-comment-661-1 πρόμοι ⁷⁶²

mvp-comment-662-1 πέραν περῶσ’ οἵδε δή ⁷⁶³

mvp-comment-662-2 δή ⁷⁶⁴

mvp-comment-663-1 βωμὸν ⁷⁶⁵

mvp-comment-663-2 ἔσχετ’ ⁷⁶⁶

mvp-comment-664-1 θᾶσσον ἢ καθ’ ἡδονὴν ⁷⁶⁷

mvp-comment-665-1 ἔγνων ⁷⁶⁸

mvp-comment-666-1 τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα ⁷⁶⁹

mvp-comment-667-1 οἴχεται ⁷⁷⁰

mvp-comment-667-2 τὴν μόνην ⁷⁷¹

mvp-comment-668-1 περ ⁷⁷²

mvp-comment-669-1 οὔκουν τις … ἀναγκάσει ⁷⁷³

mvp-comment-669-2 τούσδε βωμοὺς ⁷⁷⁴

mvp-comment-670-1 Join σπεύδειν ἀπὸ θυμάτων, ἄνιππον, ἱππότην τε ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος ⁷⁷⁵

mvp-comment-670-2 ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος ⁷⁷⁶

mvp-comment-670-3 δίστομοι … ὁδοί ⁷⁷⁷

mvp-comment-670-4 μάλιστα ⁷⁷⁸ ἔνθα ⁷⁷⁹

mvp-comment-671-1 ἴθ’ ⁷⁸⁰

mvp-comment-672-1 δῑ ὀργῆς ἧκον ⁷⁸¹

mvp-comment-673-1 μεθῆκ’ ⁷⁸²

mvp-comment-674-1 οὕσπερ … τοὺς νόμους ⁷⁸³

mvp-comment-675-1 τούτοισι ⁷⁸⁴

mvp-comment-675-2 ἁρμοσθήσεται ⁷⁸⁵

mvp-comment-676-1 ἐναργεῖς ⁷⁸⁶

mvp-comment-676-2 ἄγων ⁷⁸⁷

mvp-comment-677-1 κατάξια δρᾶν ⁷⁸⁸

mvp-comment-678-1 ὧν ⁷⁸⁹

mvp-comment-679-1 Athens

"practises justice,"

i.e. respects the rights of other states; and

"determines (

κραίνουσαν"

) nothing without law,

i.e.admits no claim which the laws do not sanction. Oedipus had placed himself and his daughters under the protection of Attic law. Creon should have sought legal warrant for their removal. Instead of doing so, he has used violence.

mvp-comment-680-1 εἶτ’ ⁷⁹⁰

mvp-comment-680-2 ἀφεὶς ⁷⁹¹

mvp-comment-681-1 τὰ … κύρια ⁷⁹²

mvp-comment-681-2 ἐπεισπεσὼν ⁷⁹³

mvp-comment-682-1 ἄγεις ⁷⁹⁴

mvp-comment-682-2 παρίστασαι ⁷⁹⁵

mvp-comment-683-1 κένανδρον … ἢ δούλην τινὰ ⁷⁹⁶

mvp-comment-684-1 τῷ μηδενί ⁷⁹⁷

mvp-comment-685-1 Θῆβαι ⁷⁹⁸

mvp-comment-685-2 ἐπαίδευσαν ⁷⁹⁹

mvp-comment-686-1 πυθοίατο ⁸⁰⁰

mvp-comment-687-1 συλῶντα ⁸⁰¹

mvp-comment-687-2 φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια ⁸⁰²

mvp-comment-688-1 ἐπεμβαίνων ⁸⁰³

mvp-comment-689-1 εἶχον ⁸⁰⁴

mvp-comment-690-1 ἄνευ γε τοῦ κραίνοντος ⁸⁰⁵

mvp-comment-690-2 χθονὸς ⁸⁰⁶

mvp-comment-690-3 ὅστις ἦν ⁸⁰⁷

mvp-comment-691-1 οὔθ’ εἷλκον οὔτ’ ἂν ἦγον ⁸⁰⁸

mvp-comment-692-1 ξένον ⁸⁰⁹

mvp-comment-693-1 ἀξίαν οὐκ οὖσαν ⁸¹⁰

mvp-comment-694-1 τὴν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ ⁸¹¹

mvp-comment-694-2 ὁ πληθύων χρόνος ⁸¹²

mvp-comment-694-3 τοῦ νοῦ ⁸¹³

mvp-comment-695-1 τινα ⁸¹⁴

mvp-comment-696-1 The essence of the notion conveyed by μέτοικος ⁸¹⁵

mvp-comment-697-1 βίᾳ τε κοὐχ ἑκ ⁸¹⁶

mvp-comment-697-2 κοὐχ ἑκών ⁸¹⁷

mvp-comment-698-1 The words τῷ νῷ have been suspected by recent criticism. They seem to me sound. The sense is,

"these things, which I say to you, are purposed by my mind as really as they are uttered by my tongue."

With τῷ νῷ a verb meaning

"I intend"

( e.g.

διανοοῦμαι

) should strictly have been used; but the verb appropriate to ἀπὸ γλώσσης is made to serve for both. For a similar zeugma cp. O. T. 116

οὐδ’ ἄγγελός τις οὐδὲ συμπράκτωρ ὁδοῦ | κατεῖδ’

, where the verb appropriate to

ἄγγελος

, viz.

ἦλθε

, has to be supplied from

κατεῖδ’

. To Meineke's τοῦ νοῦ (governed by

ἀπό

) it may be objected that

ἐκ

would be the right prep., as in

ἐκ θυμοῦ, ἐκ ψυχῆς.

ἀπὸ γλώσσης ⁸¹⁸

mvp-comment-699-1 ὁρᾷς ἵν’ ἥκεις ⁸¹⁹

mvp-comment-699-2 ἀφ’ ὧν ⁸²⁰

mvp-comment-700-1 ἐγὼ οὔτ’ ⁸²¹

mvp-comment-700-2 L's λέγω , of which

λέγων

was a correction, came in by mistake from 936. Schneidewin's νέμων has been generally received, and is clearly right: cp. on . While ἄνανδρον answers to

κένανδρον ἢ δούλην

in 917, ἄβουλον (940), which implies the lack of a guiding mind, answers to

κἄμ’ ἴσον τῷ μηδενί

in 918.—Creon's speech is as clever as it is impudent. He has only anticipated what the Athenians themselves would have wished. Indeed, he has acted in reliance on the Areiopagus (950). If his method has been rough, he was provoked by the violence of Oedipus.

mvp-comment-701-1 αὐτοὺς ⁸²²

mvp-comment-701-2 ἐμπέσοι ⁸²³

mvp-comment-702-1 ξυναίμων ⁸²⁴

mvp-comment-703-1 κἄναγνον ⁸²⁵ ἄναγνον ⁸²⁶

mvp-comment-703-2 δεξοίατ’ ⁸²⁷

mvp-comment-704-1 ηὑρέθησαν ⁸²⁸

mvp-comment-704-2 τέκνων ⁸²⁹

mvp-comment-704-3 ξυνόντες ⁸³⁰

mvp-comment-704-4 Wecklein takes

τέκνων

as "relative" gen. with

ἀνόσιοι

, in the sense of

παιδουργίας, σπορᾶς

: "a marriage unholy in respect of its offspring." This seems forced. Musgrave's

τοκέων

would be more specious if the gen. of a noun in

‐εύς

anywhere else suffered synizesis in this place of the verse. (In 1361

φονέως

is in the 4th place.) Soph. has

γονέων

El. 146 , 241 , and

τοκέων

ib. 187 , Eur. the latter H. F. 915 , Or. 815 , and in these 5 places (all lyric) the words are scanned as trisyllables: a fact which, so far as it goes, is against

τοκέων

here. Neither

τέκνοις

nor

τέκνῳ

is a probable remedy; nor is

φίλων

. In my belief

τέκνων

is sound.

mvp-comment-705-1 τοιοῦτον ⁸³¹

mvp-comment-705-2 εὔβουλον ⁸³²

mvp-comment-706-1 χθόνιον ⁸³³

mvp-comment-707-1 θυμοῦ ⁸³⁴

mvp-comment-707-2 θανόντων ⁸³⁵

mvp-comment-708-1 κεἰ ⁸³⁶

mvp-comment-708-2 σμικρὸν ⁸³⁷

mvp-comment-708-3 πρὸς … τὰς πράξεις ⁸³⁸

mvp-comment-709-1 τοῦ ⁸³⁹

mvp-comment-710-1 μοι ⁸⁴⁰

mvp-comment-710-2 διῆκας ⁸⁴¹

mvp-comment-711-1 ἄκων ⁸⁴²

mvp-comment-711-2 θεοῖς ⁸⁴³

mvp-comment-712-1 ἄν ⁸⁴⁴

mvp-comment-713-1 ἐπεὶ καθ’ αὑτόν γ’ ⁸⁴⁵

mvp-comment-713-2 Others take

ἀνθ’ ὅτου

as=

"in that,"

" because ,"

and understand:—

"For you cannot charge any guilt on me personally (

καθ’ αὑτόν"

), in that I sinned against myself and my kindred.

But (1) καθ’ αὑτόν could not naturally express this contrast between the badness of the acts and the innocence of the agent. It contrasts the man with the

γένος

. (2) ἀνθ’ ὅτου regularly (if not always)=

"in return for which,"

"wherefore"

: e.g. El. 585

δίδαξον ἀνθ’ ὅτου τανῦν

αἴσχιστα πάντων ἔργα δρῶσα τυγχάνεις

: Eur. Alc. 246

οὐδὲν θεοὺς δράσαντας ἀνθ’ ὅτου θανεῖ

: I. T. 926

ἡ δ’ αἰτία τίς ἀνθ’ ὅτου κτείνει πόσιν;

So Hec. 1131 , 1136.

mvp-comment-714-1 ἐπεὶ δίδαξον ⁸⁴⁶

mvp-comment-714-2 εἴ τι θέσφατον ⁸⁴⁷

mvp-comment-715-1 The simple inf. θανεῖν could have depended on

θέσφατον

, but ὥστε is added, as below 1350 ; Plat. Prot. 338C

ἀδύνατον ἡμῖν ὥστε Πρωταγόρου τοῦδε σοφώτερόν τινα ἑλέσθαι

: Eur. Hipp. 1327

Κύπρις γὰρ ἤθελ’ ὥστε γίγνεσθαι τάδε

: Thuc. 1.119

δεηθέντες ὥστε ψηφίσασθαι

: 8. 45

πεῖσαι ὥστε συγχωρῆσαι.

mvp-comment-715-2 παίδων ⁸⁴⁸

mvp-comment-716-1 οὔτε...οὐ ⁸⁴⁹

mvp-comment-716-2 βλάστας ⁸⁵⁰

mvp-comment-717-1 φανεὶς δύστηνος ⁸⁵¹

mvp-comment-717-2 ἐγὼ )φάνην ⁸⁵²

mvp-comment-718-1 ἐς χεῖρας ⁸⁵³

mvp-comment-719-1 μηδὲν ⁸⁵⁴

mvp-comment-720-1 The MSS. have πῶς γ’ ἄν , but γ’ should probably be omitted. In L, at least, there is a perceptible tendency to insert

γ’, τ’

, etc., superfluously (cp. cr. n. on 260); and here the first γ’ would weaken the second, while πῶς needs no strengthening. In O. T. 1030 , where L and most MSS. have

γ’...γε

, we should read

δ’...γε

. There is, however, no objection to a doubled

γε

where each of two words in the same sentence is to be emphasised ( Her. 1.187 ).

mvp-comment-720-2 ἆκον ⁸⁵⁵

mvp-comment-721-1 L's τλήμων might be either ( a ) predicate with the verb, or ( b ) nom. for voc., as 185

ὦ τλάμων

, where see n. But ( a ) would be rather weak; and a direct address, rather than a half-comment (as in 185), is fitting here. τλῆμον , then, seems most probable.

mvp-comment-722-1 οὖν ⁸⁵⁶

mvp-comment-723-1 εἰς τόδ’ ἐξελθ. ἀνόσιον στόμα ⁸⁵⁷

mvp-comment-723-2 ἀνόσιον στόμα ⁸⁵⁸

mvp-comment-724-1 — 984 He has just said,

"why force me to speak of Iocasta's marriage, when it was such as I will tell? "

(980). In these three vv. he tells of what sort it was,—viz., incestuous, but unconsciously so;—a double reason why Creon should have spared the taunt.

mvp-comment-724-2 ἔτικτεν ⁸⁵⁹

mvp-comment-724-3 αὑτῆς ὄνειδος ⁸⁶⁰

mvp-comment-725-1 δυσστομεῖν ⁸⁶¹

mvp-comment-726-1 ἄκων ⁸⁶²

mvp-comment-727-1 ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ ⁸⁶³

mvp-comment-727-2 The MS.

ἀκούσομαι κακὸς

"will be pronounced evil"

(in the report of fairminded men): cp. Ph. 1074

ἀκούσομαι μὲν ὡς ἔφυν οἴκτου πλέως | πρὸς τοῦδ

"I shall be reproached, as full of pity, by yon man"

: ib. 607

ὁ πάντ’ ἀκούων αἰσχρὰ καὶ λωβήτ’ ἔπη

. But the conjecture ἁλώσομαι has certainly more force and point: cp. O. T. 576

οὐ γὰρ δὴ φονεὺς ἁλώσομαι

: Ant. 46

οὐ γὰρ δὴ προδοῦσ’ ἁλώσομαι

mvp-comment-728-1 ἐμφορεῖς ⁸⁶⁴

mvp-comment-728-2 φόνους ⁸⁶⁵

mvp-comment-729-1 ἄμειψαι ⁸⁶⁶

mvp-comment-730-1 εἴ τις … κτείνοι ⁸⁶⁷

mvp-comment-730-2 αὐτίκα ⁸⁶⁸

mvp-comment-730-3 τὸν δίκ ⁸⁶⁹

mvp-comment-731-1 δοκῶ μέν ⁸⁷⁰

mvp-comment-732-1 περιβλέποις ⁸⁷¹

mvp-comment-733-1 εἰσέβην ⁸⁷²

mvp-comment-733-2 After ἀντειπεῖν and like words the person gainsaid is denoted by the dat.; the argument , by

περί τινος

πρός τι

. Here we begin with a neut. dat.

mvp-comment-733-3 οἶς ⁸⁷³

mvp-comment-733-4 ἐμοί ⁸⁷⁴

mvp-comment-733-5 ἂν ⁸⁷⁵ ἀντειπεῖν ⁸⁷⁶

mvp-comment-733-6 ἐγὼ οὐδὲ ⁸⁷⁷

mvp-comment-734-1 πατρὸς ψυχὴν … ζῶσαν ⁸⁷⁸

mvp-comment-734-2 ψυχή ⁸⁷⁹

mvp-comment-735-1 ἅπαν ⁸⁸⁰

mvp-comment-735-2 καλὸν ⁸⁸¹

mvp-comment-735-3 ῥητὸν ἄρρ ⁸⁸²

mvp-comment-736-1 τὸ Θ. ὄνομα θωπ ⁸⁸³

mvp-comment-736-2 θωπεῦσαι ⁸⁸⁴

mvp-comment-736-3 καλόν ⁸⁸⁵

mvp-comment-737-1 ὡς κατῴκηνται καλῶς ⁸⁸⁶

mvp-comment-738-1 κᾆθ’ ⁸⁸⁷

mvp-comment-738-2 πολλὰ ⁸⁸⁸

mvp-comment-739-1 εἴ τις γῆ θεοὺς ⁸⁸⁹

mvp-comment-740-1 τῷδ’ ⁸⁹⁰

mvp-comment-741-1 κλέψας ⁸⁹¹

mvp-comment-742-1 ἐχειροῦ ⁸⁹²

mvp-comment-742-2 οἴχει ⁸⁹³

mvp-comment-743-1 κατασκήπτω λιταῖς ⁸⁹⁴

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

263. mvp-comment-149-1 κάμοιγε.. ἐστίν ; Ay, and of all this what do I find? Hermann would continue the force of eἰ: 'since Athens has this reputation which in my case proves vain. But the sentence is too long to be so compact. For καί, cp. infr. 606, El. 883, καὶ τίνος, κ.τ.λ.; and for ποῦ, 8,9. Schol. καὶ ὁ Κυρηναῖος· οὕνεκεν οἰκτείρειν οἶδε μόνη πολέων· ἐν τῷ β΄ τῶν αἰτιῶν. See on O. T. 355: Essay on Language § 24. p. 41.

263. mvp-comment-149-2 οἵτινες βάθρων (1) When ye, after lifting me up from this resting-place, then drive me away from it. For the want of antecedent in a passage expressing strong feeling (οἵτινες = εἰ ὑμεῖς), see Essay on Language p. 72. The sacredness of the ground was a reason for protecting the suppliant who was found there. L. 276 shows that ἐξάραντες refers not with ἐλαύνετε to 226, but to 149-196. Those who removed a suppliant from the hearth, altar, or other consecrated place, were bound to succour him. Cp. O. T. 142, where the king is acceding to the prayer of the petitioners, ὑμεῖς μὲν βάθρων | ἵστασθε, τούσδ᾽ ἄραντες ἱκτῆρας κλάδους. Otherwise (2), if βάθρων is taken strictly of the seat, called ἕδρανα, supr. 176, Who after removing me' (from the sacred ground) then drive me from this resting-place, or (3), Who remove and drive me from this resting-place. For the plural βάθρων in the more general sense, cp. Eur. Erechth. fr. 362, l. 47 .

266. mvp-comment-150-1 For my actions have indeed been sufferings and not actions.' See Essay on Language § 30. p. 51. The words of Lear (3. 2) have often been compared, I am a man | More sinned against than sinning. What

268. mvp-comment-151-1 εἰ . . χρείη Were it fitting. Cp. Τr. 749, εἰ χρὴ μαθεῖν σε. Oedipus here shrinks from saying, he 265 270

268. mvp-comment-151-2 χρείη χρεῖ' ἡι L. (ει from η). utters afterwards under pressure from the chorus (521 ff.), and under provocation from Creon (985 ff.).

269. mvp-comment-152-1 τοῦτο Sc. ὅτι διὰ ταῦτα ἐκφοβεῖ με.

270. mvp-comment-153-1 φύσιν has a strong emphasis. Whatever my actions may have been, my nature was surely not wicked; cp. Αj. 472, μή τοι φύσιν γ᾽ ἄσπλαγχνος ἐκ κείνου γεγώς, i. e. That I was not really a coward, though the award of the arms to Ulysses proclaimed me such.

271. mvp-comment-154-1 φρονῶν i. e. With clear knowledge. See on O. T. 316. Seeing that first of all I was returning a wrong, so that even had I done it knowingly, I should not have been guilty. But as it was, I went all unwittingly on my path of woe, whereas those who planned my destruction knew well what they were doing. The imperfect tense in ἀπωλλύμην expresses an intention not carried into effect (as in διδόναι, κτείνειν, etc.). Cp. Thuc. 3. 57, οἵτινες Μήδων τε κρατησάντων ἀπωλλύμεθα. The words παθών .. ἀντέδρων refer to the parricide: but it is doubtful whether παθών means simply in self defence, or contains an allusion to his father's act in preparing the destruction of his infant. Similarly it is doubtful whether l. 274 applies to Creon and his sons, or again to his parents. There may seem to be a certain harshness in supposing Oedipus to speak thus of Laius, and the tone of 521 ff., 985 ff. is certainly different. Yet this is the most obvious interpretation of the present passage, and receives some confirmation from O. Τ. 718-719, 1454, ἵν' ἐξ ἐκείνων, οἵ μ᾿ ἀπωλλύτην, θάνω. The peace of Oedipus does not include forgiveness of those who have wronged him; nor is it imagined that the natural relations so broken can be restored. See Introduction, p. 279.

276. mvp-comment-155-1 The raising of the suppliant implied a promise of protection. Cp 284.

278. mvp-comment-156-1 Do not while you think to honour the Gods, in reality dishonour them,' i.e. by driving out the suppliant. Some editors have attempted, reading μοῖραν, as in the early recension, or μοίpas, which is found in two MSS, to render, Do not, while ye honour the Gods suppose them to be fates' (or 'a fate'). By no means,' etc. But this sharp distinction between God and Fate belongs to a much later age. Sophocles would no more have spoken irreverently of the μοίραι than of the other deities. And the interpretation has no meaning that is relevant to the context. For how would the rejection of Oedipus imply that the Gods were blind fates? Was it not rather based on a misinterpretation of their will? The conjectures μαυρούς (Nauck), μείους (Martin) are not more satisfactory. The best hitherto is Schndw.'s μοίρᾳ ἐμποιεῖσθε. With regard to the reading of the text, which has strong MS. authority, it may be noticed; (1) that there is no difference of meaning between μοίραις and μοίρᾳ, if this is supposed equivalent το ἐν μοίρᾳ. This poetical al dative plural occurs in Plat. Legg. 923 Β, τὸ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου κατατιθεὶς ἐν μοίραις ἐλάττοσι δικαίως. (2) Next, that the omission of ev, or the substitution of the instrumental dative (Essay on Language § 14 p. 20) is supported by the similar use of τιμαῖς (r mg. C²*. 275 280 278. μοί- = ἐν τιμῇ ἀγόμενος, in Ο. Τ. 909, κούδαμοῦ τιμαῖς Ἀπόλλων ἐμφανής. See note in loco. (3) This explanation of μοίραις requires μηδαμῶς to be taken separately from μή, and to have the force of an independent negative. This is very unusual, but may be defended, a. by the consideration that μή negatives the sentence as a whole, and a subordinate negative is therefore more easily admissible; b. that μηδαμῶς may be taken closely with μοίραις after ποιεῖσθε = ὥστε μηδαμῶς ἐν μοίραις εἶναι. c. In Plat. Legg. 11, 913 A, there is a parallel instance in a participial clause, μηδ' αὖ κινήσειε μηδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἐμὲ μηδαμῇ μηδαμῶς πείθων. Nor again let him move anything, however small, without any sort of consent from me. And in El. 336, καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν μὲν δρᾶν τι, πημαίνειν δὲ μή, although the force of μή is continued in the latter part of the line, the second μή has an independent force. Cp. also Eur Erechth. fr. 362. 1. 46, οὐδ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἐλάας χρυσέας τε Γοργόνος | τρίαιναν ὀρθὴν στᾶσαν ἐν πόλεως βάθροις | Εύμολπος οὐδὲ Θρᾶξ ἀναστέψει λεὼς | στεφάνοισι, Παλλὰς δ᾽ οὐδαμοῦ τιμήσεται. The antithesis between the literal observance of the local sanctities and the higher obligations of justice and mercy is the point of this part of the play. Cp. Phil. 451. 2, ποῦ χρὴ τίθεσθαι ταῦτα, ποῦ δ᾽ αἰνεῖν, ὅταν | τὰ θεῖ᾽ ἐπαινῶν, τοὺς θεοὺς εὕρω κακούς; Ant. 924, τὴν δυσσέβειαν εὐσεβοῦσ᾽ ἐκτησάμην, for similar contrasts of expression. The use of μοῖρα for τιμή is in keeping with the language of the play. See Introduction, p. 270.

281. mvp-comment-157-1 φωτὸς ἀνοσίου βροτῶν Cp. Aj. 1358, τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν : Οd. 17. 587, οὐ γάρ που τινες ὧδε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων | ἀνέρες ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωνται: 23. 187, ἀνδρῶν δ᾽ οὐ κέν τις ζωὸς βροτός. Essay on Language $ 40. p. 75-

282. mvp-comment-158-1 ξὺν οἷς i. e. (1) ξὺν τοῖς θεοῖς. These words properly belong to ῥύου με κάκφύλασσε, but are also joined with the prohibitive sentence that is interposed. Cp. Od. 1. 74, 5, ἐκ τοῦ δὴ Ὀδυσῆα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων | οὔτι κατακτείνει, πλάζει δ᾽ ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης. ξὺν ols has also been taken (2) as referring to the nearest words, φωτὸς ἀνοσίου βροτῶν. But it is better to refer it to the principal word in the previous sentence. Both interpretations are acknowledged in the Scholia.

282. mvp-comment-158-2 κάλυπτε Cloud with disgrace. Cp. Pind. Nem. 10. 40, Ἄργεϊ μὴ κρύπτειν φάος ὀμμάτων : Aesch. Pers. 536, ἄστυ τὸ Σούσων ἠδ' Ἀγβατάνων πένθει δνοφερῷ κατέκρυψας : also the metaphorical use οἱ ἀφανίζειν. The abruptness of the expression is softened by the explanatory clause, esp. the dative ἔργοις, i. e. Do not obscure the brightness of Athens by the impious deeds to which you minister.

284. mvp-comment-159-1 But as you have received your suppliant under a pledge.' ἐχέγγυος generally means able to give a pledge, and so trustworthy. But for the passive use of a word generally active, see Essay on Language p. 99; and cp. σωτήριον, l. 487 ;

284. mvp-comment-159-2 πιστωθείς, l. 1039 .

285. mvp-comment-160-1 ἐκφύλασσε Guard me to the end.

286. mvp-comment-161-1 δυσπρόσοπτον Unsightly.

288-289. mvp-comment-162-1 ὁ κύριος τις Your sovereign, whoever he is. For the combination of definite and indefinite, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 36; and cp. O. T. 107, τοὺς αὐτοέντας. τινάς. Oedipus has heard the name of Theseus, supr. 69, but he speaks cautiously, as if he depended on the chorus for information. For the courteous form of expression, cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 230, βασιλεύς, | ὅστις ἄρχει ναός.

290-291. mvp-comment-163-1 τὰ δὲ | μεταξύ τούτου 'In your actions between that moment and this; i e. Meanwhile.

293-294. mvp-comment-164-1 λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι] They are expressed in no light terms. The more literal meaning, in brief words, does not suit with ταρβεῖν. Why should a lengthy speech produce more awe than a shorter one? On the other hand, the meaning slight, insignificant, is supported by Plat. Legg. 692 C, ὡς ὄντων ἡμῶν βραχέος ἀξίων: Thuc. 1. 14, βραχέα ἐκέκτηντο: ib. 8. 76, βραχὺ . . καὶ ουδενὸς ἄξιον.

294-295. mvp-comment-165-1 τοὺς δὲ τῆσδε γῆς ἄνακτας] Plural for singular. Essay on Language § 20. p. 30. δέ opposes the middle course of waiting for Theseus, to the immediate reception of Oedipus.

297. mvp-comment-166-1 πατρῷον ἄστυ γῆς 'The citadel of the land, which was his father's.' The words designate the ancient πόλις, in the immediate neighbourhood of the Acropolis towards the south. Thuc. 2.15.

297-298. mvp-comment-167-1 σκοπός .. ὃς κἀμὲ δεῦρ᾽ ἔπεμπεν] The informant, who brought me hither. The Eévos is thus described, because he has seen Oedipus and will give Theseus true information. Schol. εὖ τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ, ὥστε μὴ διατριβάς γενέσθαι, τίς ὁ καλέσων ἔσται;

300. mvp-comment-168-1 *αὐτὸν ὥστ᾽ ἐλθεῖν αὐτόν, conjectured independently by Porson and Elmsley. It is doubted whether the pronoun is unemphatic and subject of έξειν, or emphatic (= 'in person') and subject of ἐλθεῖν. The latter suits better with the preceding speech, and with the feeling of Oedipus. As the Schol. observes, the Ξένος had not heard the name of Oedipus. But for dramatic purposes it is assumed that things told upon the stage become immediately more widely known. Cp. О. Т. 151, Aj. 148 ff. Triclinius read κἀπόνως, which is metrically unobjectionable, but it gives a poor meaning, and the aorist is harsh with έξειν preceding. Those who are not satisfied with Porson's emendations may prefer ὥστ᾽ ἀπόντ᾽ ἐλθεῖν πέλας; See Essay on Language § 32. p. 54, 2. 301 τοὔνομ᾽ αἴσθηται] αἴσθηται = ἀκούσῃ, hence the accus. The whole object is perceived, and not a part only.

303. mvp-comment-169-1 μακρὰ κέλευθος Cp. 165, πολλὰ κέλευθος ἐρατύει. See Introd. p. 275, supr. 15.

303. mvp-comment-169-2 πολλά Adverbial.

305. mvp-comment-170-1 πολύ Supplementary predicate, with the meaning celeber, much spoken of. Cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 6, πολὺς κατὰ πτόλιν ὑμνοῖθ᾽ ὑπ᾿ ἀστῶν: Hdt. 1. 98, ὁ Δηϊόκης ἦν πολλὸς.. αἰνεόμενος. Thy name in frequent repetition hath reached all men.'

306-307. mvp-comment-171-1 κεί βραδύς εὕδει Even though he be slow and slumbering. For the use of the adjective, see Essay on Language § 23. p. 38. 2; and cp. Aj. 47, δόλιος ὁρμᾶται. It is here slightly proleptic, i. e. εὕδει ὥστε βραδὺς εἶναι. The form of the expression is influenced by the antithesis of ταχύς. For the thought, cp. Ο. Τ. 65, ὥστ᾽ οὐχ ὕπνῳ γ' εὕδοντά μ' ἐξεγείρετε. εύδει, though added by an afterthought, has the chief emphasis. The conjectures ἕρπει, σπεύδει, are both in different ways injurious to the sense. The expression is hyperbolical, or figurative as in Eur. Suppl. 1147. For κλύων σοῦ, SC. ἀγγελίαν, cp. Ant. 1182, κλύουσα παιδός.

308. mvp-comment-172-1 Well, may he come, and in his coming be blest unto his own city as well as to me; for what good man is not a friend unto himself?' i.e. Who does not befriend himself in doing good? For the active meaning of φίλος (Sch.

308. mvp-comment-172-2 ἀντὶ τοῦ χρήσιμος), cp. Aj. 1359, Ant. 99, Phil. 1385, σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὧν χώ λόγος τοιόσδε μου : Pind. Ol. 2. 103, φίλοις.. εὐεργέταν πραπίσιν : Aesch. Cho. 1051, φίλτατ᾿ ἀνθρώπων πατρί. For αὑτῷ, referring to αὑτοῦ, the more remote antecedent, and for the emphasis on αὑτοῦ, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 78. Cp. esp. Εl. 251, καὶ τὸ σὸν σπεύδουσ᾽ ἅμα καὶ τοὐμὸν αὐτῆς ἦλθον, and for the sense, infra 1505-1506, καί σοι θεῶν | τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν *ἧκε τῆσδε τῆς ὁδοῦ: 635, γῇ τῇδε κἀμοὶ δασμὸν οὐ σμικρὸν τίνει: 1124-1125, θεοὶ ποιοῖεν ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω | αὐτῷ τε καὶ γῇ τῇδ᾽: Hom. Il. 13.732-734, ἄλλῳ δ᾽ ἐν στήθεσσι τιθεῖ νόον εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς | ἐσθλόν, τοῦ δὲ τε πολλοὶ ἐπαυρίσκοντ᾽ ἄνθρωποι, | καί τε πολέας ἐσάωσε, μάλιστα δέ κ᾿ αὐτὸς ἀνέγνω : infra 1518-1519, ἐγὼ διδάξω, τέκνον Αἰγέως, ἅ σοι | γήρως ἄλυπα τῇδε κείσεται πόλει. According to another interpretation, the words are added in excuse for ἐμοί τε, = Who is not dear to himself? (Schndw.. Nauck.) But (1) this requires the conjectural correction ἔσθ' ὅς (for ἐσθλός is then too absurd); and (2) the reflection is unsuitable to the context and to the general feeling of the play. Where a similar proverb occurs elsewhere in Sophocles, it is either the maxim of a schemer like Ulysses, or implies blame (Aj. 1366, ἦ πάνθ' ὅμοια πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ). 310 ff. The coming of Ismene prepares the way for what follows by giving a forecast of the attempt of Creon and of the fruitless visit of Polynices. It also diverts attention from Theseus, whose arrival at Colonus from the Acropolis (a distance familiar to the spectators) would be less probable and also less impressive if he came too suddenly.

310. mvp-comment-173-1 ποῖ φρενῶν ἔλθω For the genitive, see Essay on Language § 10. p. 16. The broken lines mark (1) the disturbance of feeling caused by the surprise of Ismene's coming, and (2) the suspense of uncertainty. Cp. О. Т. 1468, 1471, 1475, and notes.

312-314. mvp-comment-174-1 Αἰτναίας .. Θεσσαλίς The epithets (see Scholia) are picturesque, and also call attention to the condition of Ismene, who having still a home at Thebes is well clothed and mounted, whereas Antigone is barefoot and sunburnt, infr. 348-349. The particular meaning of Αίτναία πῶλος and Θεσσαλὶς κυνῆ is of course uncertain, except that the one implies a horse of a fine breed and the other denotes a comfortable and shady riding-hat.

313. mvp-comment-175-1 βεβῶσαν Essay on Language p. 97.

313. mvp-comment-175-2 κρατὶ δ᾽ ἡλιοστερής The implied use of στέρομαι = to avert, keep away, may be paralleled from Aesch. Supp. 1063, Ζεὺς ἄναξ ἀποστεροίη γάμον δυσάνορα δάϊον. Essay on Language p. 98. Hence the substitution of ἡλιοσκεπής, or ἡλιοστεγής, which, equally with this, would be ἅπαξ λεγόμενα, is unnecessary. The use of the word is more natural if κρατί is dative of reference, than when κρατί is taken separately as a locative dative, though both constructions may be thought of; i.e. And on her head to screen it from the sun. Cp.

her sun-expelling mask.

Shak. G. of V. 4, 2.

315. mvp-comment-176-1 τί φῶ; The uncertainty of Antigone continues until Ismene is dismounted and advances towards them. The single iambus is very unusual.

316. mvp-comment-177-1 ἢ γνώμη πλανᾷ Or does my judgment deceive me?

318. mvp-comment-178-1 τάλαινα Unhappy that I am. Said in the distraction of her doubt.

319-320. mvp-comment-179-1 φαιδρὰ ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων | σαίνει με She greets me with bright looks from her eyes. σαίνω is first to wag the tail (said of a dog or other quadruped). then to make signs of recognition or of pleased attention, and lastly is transferred to the impression produced on the person to whom this action is directed. Cp. Ant. 1214, παιδός με σαίνει φθόγγος: Aesch. Cho. 194, σαίνομαι δ' ὑπ᾿ ἐλπίδος.

320-321. mvp-comment-180-1 σημαίνει κάρα And in doing so convinces me that this is certainly no other than Ismene's self.

320-321. mvp-comment-180-2 δῆλον after σημαίνει has been thought pleonastic, but the pleonasm is expressive.

323. mvp-comment-181-1 μαθεῖν To learn the fact, that this is Ismene.

324-325. mvp-comment-182-1 O father and sister, names that I love to use. The name is often interchanged with the thing or person named. Cp. Phil. 234, Φ. ὦ φίλτατον φώνημα. Eur. Suppl. 801-802.

325-326. mvp-comment-183-1 How hardly I have found you, and now again (δεύτερον) how hardly I can see you for sorrow; i. e. And now that I have found you, my sorrow almost prevents me from seeing you. For λύπη, which is dat. of cause, see Essay on Language § 14. p. 21.

327. mvp-comment-184-1 ὁρᾶν Essay on Language § 33. P. 57.

328-331. mvp-comment-185-1 Editors since Musgrave, who followed the Scholiast's hint, μὴ ἄρα πρὸς τὸ δυσαθλία; have transposed these lines, placing 328 between 330 and 331, on the ground that Ismene cannot be supposed to touch herself. Not much is gained by this: for Ismene is rather struck by the contrast of her father's and her sister's mode of life to her own at Thebes than by the misery she shares with them. And the construction of a reply, in this sort of dialogue, is not to be pressed too closely. Cp. amongst other passages, El. 1036, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν ἐπίστω γ' οἱ μ᾿ ἀτιμίας ἄγεις. | ΧΡ. ἀτιμίας μὲν οὔ.

328-331. mvp-comment-185-2 προμηθίας δὲ σοῦ, where προμηθίας has really no construction. Perhaps all that is meant is, I too am linked in this unhappy circle. For δυσάθλιαι, which has been questioned, cp. δυστάλαινα, δυσπόνητος, δυσθρήνητος.

331. mvp-comment-186-1 δυσμόρου δ' And you must include me, unhappy. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 341, τρίτη δ᾽ ἐγὼ δύστηνος ὡς ἀπόλλυμαι. There is no reason for changing δέ το τε.

333. mvp-comment-187-1 λόγοις The meaning of the dative is varied from the cause to the concomitant. By reason of longings? Yes, and also with intelligence, which I myself would bring. The reading λόγων is probably an early conjecture. The repetition of the same construction in a slightly different sense is frequent in the language of this period.

334. mvp-comment-188-1 ξύν, κ.τ.λ. is said by attraction for ξὺν τούτῳ, ὅνπερ εἶχον πιστὸν μόνον.

335. mvp-comment-189-1 πονεῖν i. e. εἰς τὸ πονεῖν. And what is become of the young men your brothers in the matter of this service? Cp infr. 342, οὓς μὲν εἰκὸς ἦν πονεῖν τάδε. A similar construction occurs in Eur. Οr. 1473, ποῦ δῆτ᾽ ἀμύνειν οἱ κατὰ στέγας Φρύγες; cp. Il. 13.312, ἀμύνειν εἰσὶ καὶ ἄλλοι. ποῖ is more expressive than ποῦ (which there is no reason to suppose the Scholiast to have read in the text).

335. mvp-comment-189-2 ποῖ, SC. οἶχονται. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 405, ποῖ ποὶ δὴ νερτέρων τυραννίδες; For the implied negative in epexegesis expressing defect, i. e. πονεῖν = τὸ μὴ πονεῖν, see Essay on Language § 36. p. 63. The other explanation of the Scholiast, ποῦ τοῦ πονεῖν εἰσι, is not so good.

336. mvp-comment-190-1 They are, where they are. For similar expressions, implying something too bad to name, see О. Т. 1376, βλαστοῦσ᾽ ὅπως ἔβλαστε, and note.

336. mvp-comment-190-2 δεινὰ δ᾽ ἐν κείνοις τὰ νῦν Things are terrible with them now.' The Scholiast in saying vῦν δὲ τὰ ἐν ἐκείνοις δεῖνά ἐστιν implies this reading. Others read δεινὰ τὰν κείνοις τανῦν.

338. mvp-comment-191-1 φύσιν .. τροφάς In character and mode of life.

338. mvp-comment-191-2 Hdt. 2. 35, Αἰγύπτιοι.. τὰ πολλὰ πάντα ἔμπαλιν τοῖσι ἀλλοῖσι ἀνθρώποισι ἐστήσαντο ἤθεα καὶ νόμους.

338. mvp-comment-191-3 ἐν τοῖσι αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ἀγοράζουσι καὶ καπηλεύουσι· οἱ δὴ ἄνδρες, κατ' οἴκους ἐόντες, ὑφαίνουσι.

341. mvp-comment-192-1 τάξω βίου τροφεῖα The outdoor means of supporting life. Cp.

341. mvp-comment-192-2 πυρεῖα, means of obtaining fire. There is a slight redundancy in βίου τροφεία. Cp. 343, κατ' οἶκον οἰκουροῦσιν, and see Essay on Language § 40. p. 75.

342. mvp-comment-193-1 σφῶν δ᾽ And in your case. Dat. of relation: i. e. You find it so. Some editors, taking σφῷν as gen., suppose the dual to be used of the two pairs of children.

344. mvp-comment-194-1 κακά For the accusative. see Essay on Language § 16. p. 23, and cp. O. T. 264, τάδ᾽ ὡσπερεὶ τοὐμοῦ πατρὸς | ὑπερμαχοῦμαι. δυστήνου (sc. ἐμοῦ) agrees κατὰ σύνεσιν with ἐμά, but is also resumed with ὑπερπονεῖτον.

345. mvp-comment-195-1 Antigone had followed her father as soon as she had the strength.

351. mvp-comment-196-1 ἡγεῖται The sentence returns to the indicative from the participial construction. Essay on Language p. 64. 1, b.

351. mvp-comment-196-2 τὰ τῆς οἴκοι διαίτης (1) The comforts of the life at home, or (2) What subsistence she herself may find; cp. Τr. 730, ᾧ μηδέν ἐστ᾽ οἴκοι βαρύ.

355. mvp-comment-197-1 ἃ τοῦδ᾽ ἐχρήσθη σώματος] 'Which were given respecting me. Essay on Language § 9. p. 13. The context shows that the oracle here referred to was one obtained by the Thebans respecting Oedipus after they had sent him forth. The plot of the O. C. does not permit us to suppose that Creon had waited for the response, according to O. T. 1438-1439, before hastening the king's exile. This oracle directed the course of Oedipus towards Athens.

356. mvp-comment-198-1 γῆς ὅτ᾽ ἐξηλαυνόμην The order of events is inverted in the narration. Essay on Language p. 78.

358. mvp-comment-199-1 τίς σ᾽ ἐξῆρεν οἴκοθεν στόλος A figurative inversion of the common expression, αἴρειν στόλον, What errand sped thee from home?

360. mvp-comment-200-1 μὴ οὐχί, κ.τ.λ. Added in explanation of κενή. οὐχί is added because of the previous oὔ. Essay on Language p. 49.

362. mvp-comment-201-1 Seeking how thou wast maintained or where.' ποῦ κατοικοίης defines the notion of τροφήν.

363. mvp-comment-202-1 παρεῖσ᾽ ἐάσω Cp. Ο. Τ. 283, μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι.

365. mvp-comment-203-1 ἀμφὶ .. παίδοιν Dative. ‘Encompassing your wretched sons.'

367-369. mvp-comment-204-1 This passage has been generally regarded as corrupt, and ἦν ἔρις has been changed to ἦν ἔρως, ἦν ὅρος, ἤρεσεν. Some edd., including Meineke, who reads κραίνεσθαι, explain, They contended with Creon, urging that the throne should be left vacant. And the authors of the punctuation in AV³ and of the gloss ὁ τε πλεονάζει, must have so taken the words. But, as this gloss indicates, the expression Κρέοντί τε for πρὸς Κρέοντα is not quite natural or harmonious here. And the antithesis of ἔρις κακή in what follows, assisted by the parallelism of construction, ἐᾶσθαι.. λαβέσθαι. isstrongly in favour of the MS. reading. ἔρις may be supported by supposing the brothers to have jointly resisted a party amongst the citizens who desired that one of them should take his father's throne. Cp. Thuc. 6. 35, τοῖς δέ (sc. ἔρις ἦν). Beforetime their contention was that they should relinquish -to Creon their rights in the throne, and that the city should not suffer pollution; professing in their argument to have regard to the ancient ruin of their race, etc. ἐᾶσθαι is middle voice. Cp. λαβέσθαι infr. For λόγῳ, cp. infr. 1296, οὔτε νικήσας λόγῳ. And for τε.. μηδὲ Eur. Iph. Τ. 697, ὄνομά τ᾽ ἐμοῦ γένοιτ' ἂν οὐδ᾽ ἄπαις δόμος | πατρῷος οὑμὸς ἐξαλειφθείη ποτ᾿ ἄv. Essay on Language p. 65.

371. mvp-comment-205-1 *ἀλειτηροῦ Although ἀλιτήριος has the first short, ἀλειτηρός may be defended by comparing ἀλείτης, ἄλοιτος. Eustathius mentions ἀλιτηρός as a word used by Sophocles. If any change is needed, ἀλειτηροῦ, which is partly supported by the reading ἀλητηροῦ, is the most probable. The heaven-sent infatuation, which leads to their destruction, is assisted by their own evil mind.

374. mvp-comment-206-1 χὼ μὲν νεάζων And the younger spirit.' The participle implies youthful qualities (impetuosity, ambition etc.), as well as the fact of being the younger. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 713, μῶν νεάζων οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἃ χρή σ᾽ ὁρᾶν, addressed to Eteocles.

376. mvp-comment-207-1 Pherecydes and Hellanicus differed about this. See Schol. Eur. Phoen. 71.

377. mvp-comment-208-1 ὁ πληθύων Lit. the more numerous, i. e. having the majority of voices. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 860.

378. mvp-comment-209-1 τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος The hollow vale of Argos. Cp. infr. 1301, Ἄργος ἐς τὸ Δωρικόν.

381. mvp-comment-210-1 ὡς αὐτίκ᾿Ἄργος κ.τ.λ. For the construction, see Essay on Language § 21. p. 44, and cp. O. T. 101, ὡς τόδ' αἷμα χειμάζον πόλιν. It has been suggested to read αὐτός for Ἄργος, (with καθέξων in 381), but the words express the motive held out to the Argive followers of Polynices, to whom he would naturally represent the struggle as one between their city and Thebes. Cp. infr. 1325, ἄγω τὸν Ἄργους ἄφοβον εἰς Θήβας στρατόν.

381. mvp-comment-210-2 τὸ Καδμεῖον πέδον Καδμεῖον here, as in Ο. Τ. 29, δῶμα Καδμεῖον, is the more poetical reading.

381. mvp-comment-210-3 τιμῇ καθέξον Το obtain with honour.' For τιμῇ = ἐντίμως, see Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

381. mvp-comment-210-4 ἢ πρὸς οὐρανὸν βιβῶν Or to raise it to heaven. According to the frequent vaunt of the Homeric heroes, ἠε τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν, ἠε τις ἡμῖν. ΙΙ. 12. 328, 13. 487. Cp. Aesch. S. c. T. 46. ἢ πόλει κατασκαφὰς θέντες λαπάξειν ἄστυ Καδμείων βίᾳ | ἢ γῆν θανόντες τήνδε φυράσειν φύνῳ. Should the expedition fail, the splendour of the Argive host would be the measure of the glory of the Cadmeans.

382. mvp-comment-211-1 ἀριθμὸς.. λόγων A mere heaping together of words. Cp. Eur. Eu Tro. 476, οὐκ ἀριθμὸν ἄλλως, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπερτάτους Φρυγῶν.

383. mvp-comment-212-1 ὅποι At what point? i.e. how long they must first continue. A pregnant expression, like ἡ μάχη ἐτελεύτα ἕως ὀψέ, Thuc. 3. 108. Cp. El. 958, ποῖ γὰρ μενεῖς ῥάθυμος;

385. mvp-comment-213-1 ἤδη γὰρ ἔσχες ἐλπίδ' What? had you begun to entertain a hope?' ὡς ἐμοῦ θεοὺς | ὥραν τιν᾿ ἕξειν] A confusion of the two constructions, ὡς ἕξοιεν θεοί and ἕξειν θεούς. Cp. Aesch. Eum. 799, αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ μαρτυρῶν | ὡς ταῦτ᾽ Ὀρέστην δρῶντα μὴ βλαβὰς ἔχειν. See Essay on Language § 36. p. 67.

387. mvp-comment-214-1 τοῖς νῦν.. μαντεύμασιν By reason of what is now feretold.

390. mvp-comment-215-1 εὐσοίας χάριν For their own preservation. εὐσοίας is mentioned in the Scholia as the better reading.

391. mvp-comment-216-1 τοιοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾿ ἀνδρός Who can derive prosperity from such as I am? Herm. reads τίς ἄν *τι τοιοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρός..;

392. mvp-comment-217-1 φασί They say. The subject is to be inferred from l. 413, viz. ἄνδρες θεωροὶ Δελφικῆς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας. For similar vagueness of subject in reference to a reported prophecy, cp. О. Т. 110.

395. mvp-comment-218-1 φλαύρον A poor business. There is not much good in raising up in age one who fell in youth. On the omission of ἄv, see Essay on Language § 27. P. 45.

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.

415. mvp-comment-225-1 οἱ μολόντες Those who returned, viz. the θεωροί.

416. mvp-comment-226-1 For the indefinite Tus in a question, cp. supra 66, ἄρχει τις αὐτῶν; The use of τις = πότερος, where only two are spoken of, is remarkable.

419-420. mvp-comment-227-1 It may seem unreasonable in Oedipus to expect his sons to disregard the interest and the law of Thebes. But he is absorbed in his own destiny, and is full of indignation at the thought of being taken to the borders of his country without being restored to it. This he thinks that his sons ought to have interfered to prevent. He regards the oracle as expressing the intention of Phoebus to glorify him at the expense of his countrymen if they persist in rejecting him. See Introduction, p. 281, note 2.

420. mvp-comment-228-1 φέρω δ᾽ ὅμως But still, such are the news I bring. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 248, φέρει σαφές τι πρᾶγος κλύειν : Ag. 639, ὅταν . . πήματ᾿ ἄγγελος.. φέρῃ. 421 ff. The correspondence of clauses is not perfect, a new train of thought being introduced with δέ in 422. The broken thread is resumed in 425-426. Oedipus is saying, Let their quarrel go on to the end, and may the end be the worst for both. His passion interrupts him with the further thought, Let me only have the ending of it, and then-. For the expression, cp. Pind. Nem. 10. 29, 30, πᾶν δὲ τέλος ἐν τὶν ἔργων.

424. mvp-comment-229-1 ἔχονται The present here rather marks the beginning than the continuance of the action. Take hold of,' i.e. obstinately engagein, rather than cling to, persevere in. Cp. ἔργου ἔχεσθαι.

424. mvp-comment-229-2 κἀπαναιροῦνται δόρυ. And are taking up the spear for battle.' As ἐπαναιρεῖσθαι φιλίαν, πόλεμον, are quite good expressions, there seems no reason to suspect this more literal use. And δόρυ, as elsewhere, almost = πόλεμον. ἐπαναίρονται is less suitable, for the sons of Oedipus, though preparing for the contest, are not actually engaged.

425. mvp-comment-230-1 ὡς οὔτ᾽ ἂν κ.τ.λ. This clause adds an explanation of ἐν ἐμοὶ τέλος γένοιτο, defining the manner of the end which Oedipus desired, and which he would bring about if the matter rested with him. May it be mine to determine the end-which I will determine in such a way that neither he who now holds the sceptre and the throne should remain,' etc ὡς (with the optative and av) is not here exactly equal to ἵνα with subjunctive or optative, which would mean ' (May it be mine to end it) that so neither he that holds the sceptre might remain,' etc. A slightly different way of taking the words is, May it be mine, etc:-so (since then) neither would he.etc.

426. mvp-comment-231-1 πάλιν Nor should he that is gone forth ever come back again.' The reading of Par. A, though only slightly supported by MS. authority, is possible. Cp. infr. 1372, and note. 'Nor should he that is gone forth ever be restored to his own city. But that in the text is simpler and more natur l. Cp infr. 601, ἔστιν δέ μοι | πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθ᾽, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.

428. mvp-comment-232-1 So dishonoured by being thrust forth from my native land. For the expression of the predicate by an adverb, see Essay on Language § 24. p. 40; and cp. Plat. Rep 3.406 C, ὁ ἡμεῖς γελοίως οὐκ αἰσθανόμεθα.

429. mvp-comment-233-1 οὐκ ἔσχον Stayed me not, nor shielded me, but suffered me to be made a homeless outcast and proclaimed a banished man. For the dative αὐτοῖν, see Essay on Language § 13. p. 19. f.

432. mvp-comment-234-1 κατήνυσεν Fulfilled for me this boon, which I then desired. κατήνεσεν, assented to, accorded, the reading of B, is less forcible in the connection. The question is not one of promise but of performance. For the desire of Oedipus, see O. T. 1410 sqq., 1449 sqq.

436. mvp-comment-235-1 ἔρωτος τοῦδε In respect of this desire I found no helper. For the genitive, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13. The genitive after ὠφελεῖσθαι, e. g. τοῦδε τοῦ νόμου, Antiphon, 131. 27, which has been quoted as parallel is really different from this, being a genitive of participation.

437. mvp-comment-236-1 When my grief was now all mellowed.' Cp. ὀργὴ πέπειρα, Τr. 728, and the metaphorical sense of ὠμός.

438-439. mvp-comment-237-1 And I began to know that my rage had run to excess and been too severe in chastising my former errors.' It is more probable that τῶν.. ἡμαρτημένων is genitive in regimen with κολαστήν than genitive of comparison after μείζω, (Aesch. Cho. 519), because μείζω thus receives an exclusive emphasis. Forμείζων, used thus absolutely, cp. Plat. Soph. 231 Α, μὴ μεῖζον αὐτοῖς προσάπτωμεν γέρας, and Heindorf's note.

441. mvp-comment-238-1 χρόνιον I say, after a time; resuming χρόνῳ (437), which contains the point of the sentence. The time is not imagined as being really long, though it seemed so to Oedipus. For a similar use of χρόνιος, cp Eur. Cycl. 249, χρόνιος δ᾽ εἴμ᾿ ἀπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων βορᾶς: Οr. 740.

443. mvp-comment-239-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν For a little word; i, e. For want of a little word, which they might have spoken for Cp. Eur. Or. 84, νεκρὸς γὰρ οὗτος οὔνεκα σμικρᾶς πνοῆς. He is a corpse, were it not for a little breath. And for a similar thought, Thuc. 3. 53, ὁ μὴ ῥηθεὶς λόγος τοῖς ὧδ᾽ ἔχουσιν αἰτίαν ἂν παράσχοι ὡς εἰ ἐλέχθη σωτήριος ἂν ἦν.

444. mvp-comment-240-1 σφιν Cp. αὐτοῖν, supra 430. 446-447. I have subsistence and a land where I can dwell safely.

448-449. mvp-comment-241-1 εἰλέσθην . . χθονός (1) Chose the possession of a throne, and to sway the sceptre, and to be sovereign over the land. This arrangement of the words gives a better rhythm than if (2) θρόνους is made to depend, with σκήπτρα, or κραίνειν. (3) Another explanation makes θρόνους and σκῆπτρα to be taken with εἱλέσθην, and also, in a secondary construction, with κραίνειν as epexegetic infinitive. Cp. O. Τ. 237, κράτη τε καὶ θρόνους νέμω. For the accusative, cp. the use of the passive verb in Phil. 140, παρ' ὅτῳ Διός σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται.

450. mvp-comment-242-1 τοῦδε Sc. ἐμοῦ.

451. mvp-comment-243-1 οὔτε σφιν It has been thought that either οὗ τι in 450 must be changed to οὔτε, or οὔτε here to οὐδέ. If so, the latter is preferable, for οὔ τι is expressive.

453. mvp-comment-244-1 συννοών *τε *τἀξ ἐμοῦ And comparing with them in thought those ancient oracles, which I bring from my own store, the same which Phoebus once accomplished upon me. Cp. supr. 93

453. mvp-comment-244-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ, Which come from my side; i. e. in making the comparison. Cp. Τr. 631, τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ. The correction, although questioned by Dindorf, who supposes some deeper corruption of the text, is probable enough.

457-460. mvp-comment-245-1 ἐὰν γὰρ . . ἀρεῖσθε Cp. 72, ὡς ἄν, προσαρκῶν μικρά, κερδάνῃ μέγα: 647-648, ΘΗ. μέγ᾽ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας. ΟΙ. εἰ σοί γ᾽ ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι: 815, τίς δ'᾽ ἄν με τῶνδε συμμάχων ἕλοι βίᾳ; 1206, ΟΙ. μόνον, ξέν', εἴπερ κεῖνος ὧδ᾽ ἐλεύσεται, μηδεὶς κρατείτω τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ποτέ: 1489, 90, ΟΙ. ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἔπασχον εὖ, τελεσφόρον χάριν δοῦναί σφιν, ἥνπερ τυγχάνων ὑπεσχόμην. The extension of present aid is everywhere put forward as a condition of the permanent blessing. The task of defence which he here entreats them to undertake, is fulfilled by them in resisting Creon.

457. mvp-comment-246-1 μου is genitive of the object, for which see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

458. mvp-comment-247-1 πρὸς * ταῖσδε ταῖς σεμναῖσι δημούχοις θεαîs] In addition to these dread goddesses that protect your deme. This seems the most probable as it is the simplest emendation of this line. Others are πρὸς ταῖσι τρισσεμναῖσι, ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ταῖς, ξὺν προστάταις. πρός harmonizes well with the emphatic ὑμεῖς. σύν has probably been inserted as a gloss L² has ταῖς σεπταῖσι.

459. mvp-comment-248-1 ἀλκὴν ποιεῖσθαι 'Το undertake defence,' like τὰς μήχας ποιούμενος, Εl. 302: ἐποιοῦντο βουλήν, Hdt. 6. 101.

459. mvp-comment-248-2 τῇδε μὲν πόλει This reading is preferred (1) for the antithesis; (2) because tῇ may be accounted for as a corruption of yῇ explaining πόλει.

460. mvp-comment-249-1 τοῖς δ᾽ ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς Oedipus reverts to his own personal objects, as in 308-309 (εὐτυχὴς ἵκοιτο τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ πόλει ἐμοί τε). although, as in that passage, the chief stress is laid on what is mentioned first. At the same time he leaves it to be implied that his enemies are the enemies of Athens. Cp. infra 646, ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμ᾽ ἐκβεβληκότων. The corruption in Lis due to itacism. 461 ff. The coming of Theseus is still delayed, and the scruples of the chorus cannot be set at rest without some formal expiation on the part of Oedipus. The presence of Ismene enables this to be made without Oedipus or Antigone leaving the stage. She goes to perform this service, and the chorus continue harping on the interminable theme (adding the confessional to the sacrifice), when Theseus at last enters bringing with him a very different spirit. His coming clears the air at once.

463. mvp-comment-250-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις You add, to give further weight, as if throwing into the scale. Cp. supra 293, λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι. And since you add in what you have now said that you are yourself the saviour of this land. λόγῳ is partly instrumental dative, partly governed by ev in ἐπεμβάλλεις.

464. mvp-comment-251-1 παραινέσαι.. τὰ σύμφορα Το give you advice that will assist you.'

465. mvp-comment-252-1 προξένει 'Give me friendly instructions. On the uses of this word, see Essay on Language p. 97. It is here specially applicable to the position of Oedipus as a stranger, and of the chorus who are advising him in a matter where they are most of all at home.

466. mvp-comment-253-1 θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων) Institute a propitiation of these deities. Lit. A purification in relation to them. For the genitive, see Essay on Language $9. p. 12; and for θέσθαι in this sense, O. T. 134, τήνδ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν. vuv seems preferable to vûv after the imperative.

467. mvp-comment-254-1 καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον ὧν (or αὐτῶν) may be supplied from ἐφ᾽ ἅs. The reading is doubtful. κατέστεψας is unmeaning; but κατάστεψον πέδον, Adorn the ground with garlands, receives some support from the description that follows. For κατέστειψας, which gives the most natural meaning and best rhythm, cp. supra 56, ὃν δ' ἐπιστείβεις τόπον. And for the thought, cp. supr. 84, 5 and note.

470. mvp-comment-255-1 ἐνεγκοῦ Have brought. ferendam cura.

470. mvp-comment-255-2 δι᾽ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών The minute directions belong to the ceremonial of the place possibly still in use in the time of Sophocles. ὁσίαι χεῖρες here as in Aesch. Cho. 378, are hands pure from guilt. So Horace, Od. 3. 23. 17, Immunis aram si tetigit manus, Non sumtuosa blandior hostia Mollivit aversos Penates Farre pio et saliente mica, in lines which also recall the spirit of infra 498-499, ἀρκεῖν γὰρ οἶμαι κἀντὶ μυρίων μίαν | ψυχὴν τάδ' ἐκτίνουσαν, ὴν εὔνους παρῇ. The precept to wash the hands (Schndw.) is probably included, but with a ceremonial significance. Cp. Αj. 655, λύμαθ᾽ ἁγνίσας ἐμά.

472. mvp-comment-256-1 τέχνη Abstract for concrete. See Essay on Language p. 94; and cp. Phil. 35, 36, φλαυρουργοῦ τινὸς τεχνήματ᾿ ἀι δρός. For the (Epic) form of the sentence, cp. Τr. 752, ἀκτή τις ἐστιν. ἔιθα, κ.τ.λ.

473. mvp-comment-257-1 κρᾶτα is probably plural here, as in Pind. Fr. 3 (Eustath. 1715. 63), τρία κρᾶτα. Cp. the Homeric κράατα.

473. mvp-comment-257-2 ἀμφιστόμους Projecting on either side, rather than On either side the brim. See L. and S. s. ν. στόμα IΙI. The latter part of the compound is unemphatic.

475. mvp-comment-258-1 οἰός * γε νεαρᾶς *εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών] The insertion of γε (Heath) is the most probable of the various corrections (νεώρου, νεώρους, νεώρας, νεώρει, ν ογνῆς, νεαλοῦς, γε νεαρᾶς) of the first part of this line. γε refers to κρόκαισιν, which it confirms and amplifies. Yes, with a fillet of wool from a young ewelamb.' νεοτόκῳ, lately born, would express the feeling of ceremonial superstition with more exactness than veo- πόκῳ, which is made up by combining the MS. readings, and may mean either newly-clipped (an etymological use, for which cp. Essay on Language pp. 99, 100) or consisting of young wool.' But there is no motive for a twofold resolution (2) in this line, and εὐπόκῳ gives a simple and natural sense. Cp. Τr. 675, ἀργῆτ᾽ οἰὺς εὐείρῳ πύκῳ. Supposing ve to have crept in from the previous word, the variation of reading may be easily accounted for.

477. mvp-comment-259-1 χοὰς χέασθαι.. Hom. Od. 10. 518, χοὴν χεῖσθαι. Cp. Crat. Com. 2. p. 151, ἄγε δὴ πρὸς ἕω πρῶτον ἁπάντων ἵστω καὶ λάμβανε χερσὶν | σχῖνον μεγάλην: Sen. Oed. 338, Altum taurus attollens caput primos ad ortus positus expavit diem. The place of offering was probably on the eastward side of the hill. See Introd. p. 273.

478. mvp-comment-260-1 ἦ.. χέω Cp. supr. 195, ἢ ᾿σθῶ;

479. mvp-comment-261-1 πηγάς El. 894-895, νεορρύτους | πηγὰς γάλακτος.

479. mvp-comment-261-2 τὸν τελευταῖον δ' ὅλον i. e. τὸν τελευταῖον κρωσσὸν χέοις ἂν ὅλον.

480. mvp-comment-262-1 With what am I to fill this that I may make the libation?" πλήσας is suggested by ὅλον. θῶ would properly govern χοήν (cp. 466), for which κρωσσών is substituted. Three vessels are to be used for the threefold libation (Ant. 431, χοαῖσι τρισπώνδοισι τὸν νέκυν στέφει); two partly filled with pure water, the third, filled to the brim with water and honey.

481. mvp-comment-263-1 The asyndeton as elsewhere in enumeration. Cp. supr. 17. Instead of a third element, which the hearer might have expected, the prohibition of wine is interposed.

481. mvp-comment-263-2 μελίσσης For the metonymy, see Essay on Language p. 81. Schol. ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ποιοῦν.

481. mvp-comment-263-3 τος τὸ ποιούμενον. καὶ ἐν Ἐρασταῖς: Γλώσσης μελίσσης τῷ κατερρυηκότι.

481. mvp-comment-263-4 μηδέ But not. Cp. 405, note.

482. mvp-comment-264-1 The earth covered with dark leaves;' whether referring to the dark greensward (a slight variation of γαῖα μέλαινα), or to the deep shades of Colonus. Cp. supr. 157 ff.

483. mvp-comment-265-1 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν Οn both sides.' For αὐτῇ = εἰς αὐτήν, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18. Philochorus quoted by Schol. on l. 100: οὐ μόνον θυσίας νηφαλίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλα τινά.

484. mvp-comment-266-1 τάσδ᾽ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς Το add this prayer.' Cp. O. T. 1275 and note.

485. mvp-comment-267-1 μέγιστα γάρ The prayer appears to Oedipus more important than the external rites, which, however, he is ready to fulfil. τούτων is neuter.

487. mvp-comment-268-1 σωτήριον The passive use of adjectives in -τήριος is rare, and it has been attempted to give σωτήριον here an active meaning, inasmuch as Oedipus proclaims himself the saviour of Athens. But the chorus have very imperfectly realised this conception, and the expression of it would have seemed to them little in accordance with the humility of a prayer. The terms of petition are general, like the description of the previous ceremony. That they would receive their suppliant and afford him safety. See Essay on Language p. 99.

488. mvp-comment-269-1 αἰτοῦ σύ γ', αὐτός γε adds a slight emphasis to the reply.

489. mvp-comment-270-1 μηκύνων βοήν Speaking aloud. Cp. the Homeric μακρὸν ἀϋτεῖν, and the like. According to Polemo, quoted by the Scholiast on this line, the sacred rites of the Eumenides were entrusted to the family of the Ἡσυχίδαι.

491. mvp-comment-271-1 θαρσῶν ἂν παρασταίην I will defend you without fear. Said in reply to ll. 458-459. For the fears of the chorus, cp infr. 1483-1485.

494. mvp-comment-272-1 χώ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε And appoint us what we must do. For the order of words, see Essay on Language $ 41. P. 77.

496. mvp-comment-273-1 τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι μήθ᾽ ὁρᾶν 'The want of strength as well as sight. Two objections have been made to this reading-that μήτε requires a preceding μήτε, and that δύνασθαι cannot be equivalent to ἰσχύειν. But the former objection appears arbitrary (cp. supra 451): and with regard to the latter, for δύνασθαι applied to bodily strength, cp. II. 20. 360, ὅσσον δύναμαι χερσίν τε ποσίν τε: Lys. 168. 26, τῷ σώματι δύνασθαι : Plat. Phaedr. 269 D, and the Homeric use of δύναμις. See also Essay on Language pp. 95, 96. Compare Shakspeare, As You Like It, 2. 7, Oppressed with two weak evils, age and hunger.'

498-499. mvp-comment-274-1 The value of a pure intention is similarly asserted in the two lines, preserved from the Aletes of Sophocles by Stobaeus, ψυχὴ γὰρ εὔνους καὶ φρονοῦσα τοῦνδικον | κρείσσων σοφιστοῦ παντός ἐστιν εὑρέτις. Fr. 98.

499. mvp-comment-275-1 τάδ᾽ ἐκτίνουσαν Paying these dues. The change from the MS. reading is very slight, being a correction of the simplest itacism (cp. Ant. 856, where L gives ἐκτείνεις for ἐκτίνεις) and ἐκτείνουσαν has never been successfully defended.

500. mvp-comment-276-1 τι is idiomatic. Cp. Tr. 305, εἴ τι δράσεις: Phil. 286, κἄδει τι . . διακονεῖσθαι.

500. mvp-comment-276-2 μόνον δέ . . λείπετ' But leave me not alone. This gives the reason for 497, where only one of the two sisters is told to go.

502. mvp-comment-277-1 ὑφηγητοῦ γ' άνευ Hermann preferred ὑφηγητῶν ἄνευ οἱ ὑφηγητοῦ δίχα.

504. mvp-comment-278-1 χρῆ ᾿σται is equivalent to a future of χρή. Where I am to find. This form, which occurs also in a fragment of the Triptolemus quoted by the Scholiast on this passage, Fr. 539, is variously explained as a contraction for χρεία ἔσται or for χρὴ ἔσται or χρῆ ἔσται, the form χρή or χρῆ being differently regarded as a primitive indeclinable noun, whence also χρῆν and χρῆναι, or as a contraction of χρεία. Linwood conjectures ἵνα χρῆ ᾿σταί μ' ἐφευρεῖν ταῦτα. But Ismene's perplexity is more simply expressed in the text.

504. mvp-comment-278-2 κείται.

505. mvp-comment-279-1 τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους Sc. ὁ τόπος

506. mvp-comment-280-1 ἔποικος A resident, who had charge of the sacred utensils, etc.

509. mvp-comment-281-1 οὐδ᾽ εἰ πονῇ τις On the meaning of the subjunctive with εἰ, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 44. For the reading of Par. A, cp. O. T. 317, and v. rr. Ismene having gone to perform the sacred rites, there is a further pause before the arrival of Theseus. 510, foll. The pause is filled by a short lyrical interchange between the several members of the chorus and Oedipus, who is thus brought to make confession while Ismene performs her offering. But his confession is a defence. The chorus, although importunate, are gentler than in the former scene. The opening line is scanned as choriambic, although it may perhaps be questioned whether the Ionic metre, which occurs above in 11. 212 ff., is not more suitable here and in 517. The other metres in the Ist strophe and antistrophe are logaoedic, with one iambic colon (518 = 532); those of the 2nd strophe and antistrophe are mostly iambic. The scheme is the following :clcclcla=alalcc-a (?) 기기 9-

509. mvp-comment-281-2 The distribution of the parts amongst the members of the chorus is very uncertain. Most probably the coryphaeus speaks throughout the Ist strophe, and then the others interpose in turn.

510. mvp-comment-282-1 δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖν, ἐπεγείρειν Cp. the proverb, μὴ κινεῖν κακὸν εὐ κείμενον (Plat. Phil. p. 40), and Plat. Legg. 2. 657 E (of the poet's power of recalling the feelings of youth), τοῖς δυναμένοις ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν νεύτητα μνήμῃ ἐπεγείρειν.

514. mvp-comment-283-1 The hapless misery which you encountered. arising ing without remedy.' For the genitive (= περὶ τᾶς, κ.τ.λ.), see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13, and cp. El. 317, τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής;

514. mvp-comment-283-2 ξυνέστας] Cp Hdt. 7. 170, λιμῷ συνεστεῶτας : 8.74, τοιούτῳ πόνῳ συνέστασαν.

515. mvp-comment-284-1 πρὸς ξενίας An extension of the common idiom, πρὸς θεῶν, etc. Essay on Language § 19. p. 29, and cp. Aj. 492-493, πρός τ' ἐφεστίου Δίος | εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς, ἡ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί.

516. mvp-comment-285-1 τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθ᾽ ἀναιδή This conjectural reading. as well as the other which has been proposed, τᾶς σᾶς, πέπον, ἔργ᾿ ἀναιδῆ, has been suggested partly by the metrical difficulty, and party by the fact that the Scholiast appears to have taken ἀναιδή (ἔργα) to be governed by ἀνοίξῃς. Schol. μὴ πρὸς τῆς σῆς ξενίας ἀναπτύξῃς μου τὰ ἀναιδῆ ἔργα. Against πέπον it may be argued (1) that the word occurs nowhere in tragedy, (2) that where it occurs in Homer it is accompanied either by a noun in the vocative, or by the interjection 4, (3) that it is improbable that the first person (represented in the Scholion by μου) should be omitted. The word πέπονθα is in accordance with the spirit of other passages of the play (268, 537), and should be retained. ἃ πέπονθα is substituted for ἔργα, to which ἀναιδῆ is added as an emphatic epithet, My unwitting deeds of shame. Hence ἔργα was naturally inserted as a gloss. Besides the metrical objection to the MS. reading. ἀνοίξῃς requires an object, and the asyndeton takes from the smoothness of the passage without increasing its force.

517. mvp-comment-286-1 τό τοι πολὺ.. ἀκοῦσαι I would hear once for all aright what is matter of loud and still undying rumour.

517. mvp-comment-286-2 πολύ, i. e. σφόδρα λεγόμενον: cp. 305.

517. mvp-comment-286-3 πολὺ γάρ, ὦ γέρον, τὸ σὸν ὄνομα, κ.τ.λ.

517. mvp-comment-286-4 μηδαμὰ λήγον Cp. the similar expression, of a report still rife, in O. T. 731, ηὐδᾶτο γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ οὐδέ πω λήξαντ᾿ ἔχει. On the double accusative arising from the cognate use, see Essay on Language p. 25. For ξέν᾽ perhaps ξεῖν᾽, cp. infr. 530.

519. mvp-comment-287-1 στέρξον Be content, i. e. μὴ ἀγανακτοῦ ἐρόμενος ταῦτα. It is doubtful whether this line should be altered by adding δ' or γ', reading παῖδες with the MSS. in l. 532, or we should read as in the text. Cp. infr. 1692 and note. For _ _ u u _ _ in a similar passage, see El. 828, 830, 841, 843.

521. mvp-comment-288-1 ἤνεγκον κακότατα I was the victim of wretchedness. For the use of φέρω, cp. Ο. Τ. 1320, διπλά σε πενθεῖν καὶ διπλᾶ φέρειν κακά.

521. mvp-comment-288-2 ἤνεγκον *ἑκὼν μέν] If this reading is adopted, it must be acknowledged that we have here a trace of the philosophical ἀπορία (already suggested by the Epic oxymoron ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ) which is treated at length in Plato (Legg. 860, 867 A) and Aristotle (Eth. N. 3. 1), viz. whether a man acts voluntarily when he is ignorant of the circumstances. See Introd. p. 270. Oedipus must be supposed to mean that in killing Laius and in marrying Jocasta he had acted with a right good will (ср. О. Т. 422-423, τὸν ὑμέναιον ὃν δόμοις | ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών), but that as he acted in ignorance, the actions were not his deliberate choice.

521. mvp-comment-288-3 ἄκων is certainly wrong and is due to some reminiscence of l. 694. Cp. Eur. Ι. Τ. 512, τρόπον γε δή τινα οὐχ ἑκὼν ἑκών. The expression is more forcible if, by a slight change. for θεὸς ἴστω, θεὸς ἴστωρ is read, as in the text.

523. mvp-comment-289-1 τούτων δ᾽ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν For the transposition of the dactyl. in the glyconic line, see Christ's Metrik, § 119. P. 94. To avoid it here, ἐθελητόν, ἀκάθαρτον (G. Wolff), have been conjectured.

524. mvp-comment-290-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τί But with regard to what? Sc. ἤνεγκες κακότατα. The curiosity of the chorus becomes impatient and peremptory.

525. mvp-comment-291-1 κακᾷ μ᾿ εὐνᾷ By an evil nuptial the city all unknowing bound me in a fatal wedlock. μέν has probably ἐν arisen from a gloss ἐν (κακᾷ μ' εὐνᾷ). Others read κακᾷ μ᾿ ἐν εὐνᾷ and alter l. 513. The correction ἴδριν is unnecessary. Oedipus has already proclaimed his own unconsciousness, and there is a certain point in adding that the citizens were equally unconscious of the nature of their gift. Cp. infr. 983, οὐκ εἰδότ᾽ οὐκ εἰδυῖα.

526. mvp-comment-292-1 γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ is Homeric. Il.2. 111, Ζεύς με μέγα Κρονίδης ἄτῃ ἐνέδησε βαρείῃ.

527. mvp-comment-293-1 Didst thou, as I hear it told. consummate a dishonoured nuptial with thine own mother?' ματρόθεν, i. e. πρὸς ματρός, in that relationship! !' The force of the middle voice in ἐπλήσω is ethical (Essay on Language § 31. p. 52): Didst thou to thy confusion, etc. For πίμπλημι here, cp. Aesch. Pers. 132, λέκτρα δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν πόθῳ πίμπλαται δακρύμασιν.

532. mvp-comment-294-1 My children and my curses.' Because sprung from an incestuous marriage. There is no allusion to the sons.

533. mvp-comment-295-1 ματρὸς κοινᾶς Of a mother who was also mine. It has been urged in defence of the MS. arrangement of the persons, that the responsive ἰὼ δῆτα is more suitable to the chorus. But in the present instance it belongs to the chorus to utter expressions of horror, and to Oedipus to confirm them. Cp. supr. 532, ὦ Ζεῦ.

534. mvp-comment-296-1 This line has been variously altered, but even if the true reading is lost. the general meaning is probably retained. The mistake about the persons has very naturally arisen from the suddenness with which Oedipus takes up the word. This helps to indicate the excitement of the situation.

535. mvp-comment-297-1 κοιναί γε γε assents to what the chorus were about to say, which Oedipus emphasises by the words κοιναί γε πατρός. On κοιναί, see Essay on Language p. 95. Own sisters of their own sire.

536. mvp-comment-298-1 ἰὼ δῆτα Cp. Εl. 842, ΗΛ.

536. mvp-comment-298-2 φεῦ. ΧΟ. φεῦ δῆτ᾽· ὀλοὰ γάρ: Eur. Troad. 1230, ΕΚ. οἴμοι. ΧΟ. οἴμοι δῆτα σῶν ἀλάστων κακῶν.

536. mvp-comment-298-3 μυρίων γ᾽ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν Everrenewed onset of unnumbered woes. The image is that of an enemy who harasses an army by returning repeatedly to the attack with fresh forces. Cp. infr. 1045, δαΐων ἀνδρῶν .. ἐπιστροφαί, Αr. Eq 244, ἐπαναστρέφου. For the nominative after the interjection, cp. Tr. 1046-1047, ὦ .. μοχθήσας ἐγώ.

537. mvp-comment-299-1 I have suffered woes that will not be forgotten.' ἄλαστα is first governed by ἔπαθον, then ἔχειν is added pleonastically, and ἄλαστα is resumed. Sc. ἔπαθον ἄλαστα, ὥστε ἄλαστα ἔχειν τὰ παθήματα.

539-541. mvp-comment-300-1 I received a gift, which would that I, the much-enduring one, had never so benefited the state as to receive from her the privilege of choosing.' i. e. Would that I had not benefited the state so as to be honoured with the choice gift of Jocasta. In this rendering. which takes the words in a natural order, it is assumed that μή, with the past tenses of the indicative in a relative clause, may express the wish to reverse a fact in past time. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 363-366, μηδ' ὑπὸ κ.τ.λ. .. τέθαψαι. The analogy of the uses of the historical tenses with εἰ, ἄν, ἵνα, ὡς, ὅπως, to express an impossible supposition, inference, motive, or result, is all that can be urged in favour of this, except the comparison of a passage which has generally been thought corrupt, infr. 1713, ἰώ, μὴ γᾶς ἐπὶ ξένας θανεῖν ἔχρηζες. It may be further suggested, that in both these instances the unusual construction is assisted by an echo (or harmonic) of ὤφελον in ἐπωφέλησα, and of ἐχρῆν in ἔχρηζες. If this hypothesis is rejected, we must fall back on Hermann's interpretation of the words: Accepi, inquit Oedipus, donum, uxorem dicens, quod ego ut nunquam a civitate debuerim accipere, ei profui, i. e. quod ut mihi non unquam daret civitas, merui. quum eam a Sphinge liberavi. ταλακάρδιος is a poetical expansion of τάλας: cp. πυκνόπτερος, μελάμφυλλος, etc.

544. mvp-comment-301-1 παπαῖ Properly an exclamation of pain; here transferred to mental suffering, in accordance with the metaphor in έπαισας. The punctuation of the line is uncertain, i. e. it is uncertain whether δευτέραν is an epithet of νόσον, οι πληγήν is to be supplied with δεντέραν, and ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον is in apposition to the sentence. For ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον, cp. Hom. Il. 14.130, μή που τις ἐφ᾽ ἕλκεῖ ἕλκος ἄρηται.

545-546. mvp-comment-302-1 ἔχει.. πρὸς δίκας τι i. e. τὸ ἐμὸν ἔχει τι πρὸς δίκας. My case has some defence, something to be urged on the ground of justice. Cp. Ant. 598, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει λύσιν. Eur. Suppl. 64, ἔχομεν δ᾽ ἔνδικα.

546. mvp-comment-303-1 τί γάρ reiterates the expostulation of the chorus. τί γάρ has a different shade of meaning in each of the three lines, 538, 542.546: (1) Why, what then? (2) But what of this? γάρ implying that excuse will not stand. (3) Why, what is that?' 547. The MS. reading ἄλλους is condemned both by sense and metre, but the correction is uncertain. ἁλούς, adopted in the text. may be explained in two ways, (1) ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα = ἑάλων φονεύσας, manifesto occidi, I murdered, and was convicted of the murder:' ἁλούς proleptic. Essay on Language § 38. p. 70. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1213. ἐφεῦρέ σ᾽ ἄκονθ᾽ ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν χρόνος. (2) Being overtaken (by destiny) I did commit the murder. The former meaning gives rather a better force to καί, and is on the whole preferable, although the construction of the participle is more natural in the latter interpretation. Porson conjectured ἄνους, (3) being infatuated. but this implies a degree of self-accusation, from which Oedipus in the Oed. Col. is wholly free.

546. mvp-comment-303-2 καὶ ὤλεσα The pleonastic expression has the solemnity of a legal indictment. Oedipus, while pleading innocence of intention, will not soften the actual crime.

548. mvp-comment-304-1 νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός The construction of these words is absorbed in the remaining clause. The word καθαρός was specially applicable to one who had been acquitted of the crime of homicide. Cp. Plato, Rep. 5. 451 Β, ἀλλὰ μέντοι, εἶπον, καθαρός γε καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀφεθείς, ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει: Legg. 9. 865 Β, ἰατρῶν δὲ περὶ πάντων, ἂν ὁ θεραπευόμενος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκόντων τελευτᾷ, καθαρὸς ἔστω κατὰ νόμον. ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει and κατὰ νόμον in these passages answer to νόμῳ here. Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

550. mvp-comment-305-1 κατ᾿ ὀμφὴν σὴν *ἀποσταλείς Brought by thy voice, i. e. by the message sent at the request of Oedipus (1.70). The word ὀμφή has sacred associations, and is used in this play, supr. 102, of Apollo; infr. 1351, of Oedipus again: not elsewhere by Sophocles.

550. mvp-comment-305-2 ἀποσταλείς, the reading of Turnebus, is nearer to the indications of our present MSS. than any other correction, and gives a better sense than ὃς ἐστάλη οι ἐφ᾽ ἁστάλη. See where our lord Theseus, Aegeus son, hath set forth at thy word, and is now come.' 551. The words from ἔν τε to διαφθοράς are introduced by an afterthought, and modify the rest of the sentence. Cp. Phil. 1411, foll., αὐδὴν τὴν Ἡρακλέους ἀκοῇ τε κλύειν λεύσσειν τ᾽ ὄψιν. See Essay on Language p. 65 f. VOL. I. Z

553. mvp-comment-306-1 ὁδοῖς ἐν ταῖσδε In thy present coming. Cp. Εl. 68, δέξασθέ μ᾽ εὐτυχοῦντα ταῖσδε ταῖς ὁδοῖς.

555. mvp-comment-307-1 σκευή Thine apparel: which, though travel-stained, is that of a noble Theban.

556. mvp-comment-308-1 ὃς εἰ A pronominal expression to avoid the repetition of the name. Ср. О. Т. 1036, ὥστ᾽ ὠνομάσθης ἐκ τύχης ταύτης ὃς εἶ.

556. mvp-comment-308-2 καί σ᾽ οἰκτίσας, κ.τ.λ. With a native generosity which Oedipus fully acknowledges (infr. 570), Theseus is ready to protect Oedipus, although not ignorant of the nature of his misfortunes (supr. 305 ff., 551 ff.). But he imagines himself to be conferring a favour, and knows not that the blind wayfarer has more to give than to receive. Once more, therefore, we have a fine contrast between the real and the apparent situation.

557. mvp-comment-309-1 θέλω *' περέσθαι This correction of the Laurentian reading (=τὶ) is more probable than the reading of B, in which o' is awkwardly repeated. For the aphaeresis, cp. Phil. 592, λέγω. 'πὶ τοῦτον, κ.τ.λ.

560. mvp-comment-310-1 δεινήν, κ.τ.λ. Either (r1) 'For that were a hard task indeed from which, on your mentioning it, I should recoil.' Or (2) For that would be a terrible fortune, of which the mention would make me shrink from giving relief. The latter rendering gives a more natural meaning to πρᾶξις (cp. Hdt. 3. 65, ἀπέκλαιε πᾶσαν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ πρήξιν), and is more in accordance with what follows (ὑπεκτραποίμην, κ.τ.λ.). And the usual question addressed to suppliants is, What is your misfortune? rather than, What would you have us do?' For the sentiment, cp. Eur. Suppl. 339. 40, (Θησ.) ὡς τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν οὐχὶ πρόσφορον τρόποις | φεύγειν τὰ δεινά. For the emphatic use of the adj., see Essay on Language p. 80.

562. mvp-comment-311-1 ὡς οἶδά γ᾽ αὐτός Yes, for I know, that I myself was brought up a stranger, as thou art now. Theseus was reared by his grandfather Pittheus at Troezen.

563. mvp-comment-312-1 χώς τις πλεῖστ᾽ ἀνήρ i. e. καὶ ὥς τις ἀνὴρ πλεῖστα (sc. ἤθλησεν). Ι have laboured, as any one hath laboured most:' i. e. as much as any one (ut qui plurima). The more usual expression would be ὅσα τις πλεῖστα.

564. mvp-comment-313-1 ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματα Cognate accusative.

564. mvp-comment-313-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ In my own person : i. e. they were dangers to my own life which I met by my own exertions, referring to the adventure with Sciron, etc. For ev, cp. the expression, ἐν τῷ Καρὶ ὑμῖν ὁ κίνδυνοos, Plat. Lach. 187 B.

565. mvp-comment-314-1 ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν For the nominative, cp. Aj. 525, ἔχειν σ᾽ ἂν οἶκτον ὡς κἀγώ: Il. 6.477, γενέσθαι | παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ.

568. mvp-comment-315-1 σοῦ Essay on Language p. 13, 4 a.

569-570. mvp-comment-316-1 Theseus, your nobleness in brief speech hath spared me the necessity of saying much.' Either (1) βραχέα is the subject of δεῖσθαι, or (2) the object of φράσαι, the subject of δεῖσθαι being τὸ πρᾶγμα. The object of παρῆκεν is absorbed in the following clause. Cp. Eur. Fr. 310, πάρες .. ὑπερβῶαι . . νάπη. For δέομαι passive, cp. Hdt. 4. 11, ὡς ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι πρήγμα εἴη, μηδὲ πρὸς πολλοὺς δεόμενον κινδυνεύειν. Essay on Language § 31. p. 54. δεῖται in Plat. Meno, 79 C, although impersonal (sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ ὁ λόγος), is middle voice and not passive as here.

572. mvp-comment-317-1 καὶ γῆς ὁποίας ἦλθον This was implied in σκευή, l. 555 .

574. mvp-comment-318-1 χώ λόγος διέρχεται ‘And our conference draws to an end." This is the reading of the best MSS. διοίχεται, which is much commoner in this sense (cp. e. g. Eur. Suppl. 530), is given as a various reading in Par. A, and appears in the text of two other MSS. διέρχε ται is best supported by comparing Dem. 541. 22, πάντα δ᾽ ἤδη διεξεληλύθει, and Plat. Rep. 6. 484 Α, διὰ μακροῦ τινος διεξελθόντος λόγου.

577-578. mvp-comment-319-1 τὰ δὲ .. καλή But the gain to be obtained from it is better than beauty. Cp. Eur. Fr. 552, νοῦν χρὴ θεᾶσθαι, *νοῦν· τί τῆς εὐμορφίας | ὄφελος, ὅταν μὴ τὰς φρένας καλὰς ἔχῃ; 580-581. For the datives, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18.

577-578. mvp-comment-319-2 ἡ σὴ προσφορά 'The advantage which you bring.

583-584. mvp-comment-320-1 τὰ δ᾽ ἐν μέσῳ, κ.τ.λ. The construction is defined (with ποιεῖ) as the sentence proceeds. For the irregular accusative, see Essay on Language § 15. p. 22.

585. mvp-comment-321-1 ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται For in this favour those other offices are comprised; i. e. To assure him burial by the hand of Theseus was to assure him protection from the attempt of Creon.

586. mvp-comment-322-1 (1) You have indeed summed up your request in one short word. Or (2) This favour which you ask consists in a little thing:' in re levi positam gratiam. Ellendt. For (1) cp. Εl. 673, ἐν βραχεῖ ξυνθεὶς λέγω.

587. mvp-comment-323-1 Yet be advised; this is no trifling matter.' ἁγὼν ὅδε, the struggle or endeavour or peril implied in granting the request.

588. mvp-comment-324-1 πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων, ἢ μοῦ λέγεις;] In saying this, are you speaking of what relates to your sons, or of something that relates to me?' Theseus is bewildered by the words of Oedipus. Hearing of a contest in connection with the death of Oedipus, he naturally thinks of the impending conflict at Thebes, of which he cannot but have heard something. But, as he afterwards says more explicitly, he does not Z2 see how he is to be involved in this. Cp. Phil. 1384, λέγεις δ' Ἀτρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε;

589. mvp-comment-325-1 ἀναγκάζουσι If this is the right reading, which, from the frequent confusion of and o, is not quite certain (cp. 603), the present is used with future meaning, as in Aesch. Prom. 513, ὧδε δεσμὰ φυγγάνω: ib. 525, δεσμοὺς ἀεικεῖς καὶ δύας ἐκφυγγάνω. Cp. Phil. 1379, κἀποσώζοντας νόσου. The subject of κομίζειν (sc. τινά, cp. infr. 933) is to be gathered from the context. They will enforce my being taken thither;' i. e. They will force the consent of Theseus and the Athenians to this. Universe eos intelligit, qui tradendi Oedipi potestatem habeant. Herm. Another rendering has been proposed - They will use compulsion against me to carry me back thither.' But such a use of ἀναγκάζω with the infinitive is inadmissible.

590. mvp-comment-326-1 εἰ θέλοντ᾿ ἄν γ᾽, οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν] The reading of this line is very doubtful, but that of L is as probable as any other. There would seem to be an ellipse of some such words as βούλοιντο κομίζειν or the like. But if they chose to fetch you in case of your being willing to go, then on your part it would not be becoming to remain in banishment.' Cp. Od. 15. 280, οὐ μὲν δή σ' ἐθέλοντά γ᾽ ἀπώσω νηὸς έΐσης. Hes. Op. D. 355. For the ellipse with el, see Essay on Language § 28. p. 47; and cp. Αj. 886, εἴ ποθι πλαζόμενον λεύσσων: Pind. Ol. 2. 56, εἰ δέ νιν ἔχων τις ? And, for av with the present participle, infra 761, κἀπὸ παντὸς ἂν φέρων, κ.τ.λ. Reisig's emendation θέλοντάς γ', But (consider) whether it be not unbecoming in you to be exiled from them desiring to have you back again, although not convincing, deserves consideration.

591. mvp-comment-327-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽, ὅτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν This line, at first sight, rather favours the emendation θέλοντάς γ' in 590. But αὐτός = of my own accord, may distinguish between mere willingness and the spontaneous wish, and the same word has not necessarily the same reference even in two consecutive lines. Cp. supr. 71, μόλοι and note.

592. mvp-comment-328-1 But then, foolish man, anger in calamity is hurtful.'

593. mvp-comment-329-1 ὅταν μάθῃς μου • When you have learnt the nature of the case from me.'

594. mvp-comment-330-1 ἄνευ γνώμης Without consideration.

596. mvp-comment-331-1 γένους Of your birth, rather than Of your race.

598. mvp-comment-332-1 τί.. νοσεῖς; What is this greater than human misery at which you hint?

598. mvp-comment-332-2 μεῖζον ἢ κατ᾿ ἄνθρωπον, because greater than the extreme calamities which had previously befallen him.

602. mvp-comment-333-1 Why then should they have you brought, if you are still to live apart from them? For the middle voice of πεμψαίατο, cp. Ο. Τ. 434, σχολῇ σ᾽ ἂν οἴκους τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐστειλάμην.

603. mvp-comment-334-1 There is the same variance here as in 589. The future is unobjectionable.

605. mvp-comment-335-1 In that it is fated for them to be defeated,' either (1) ' in this land' or (2) by this land. For (1) cp. infr. 1546, μοῖρ᾽ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε τῇδε κρυφθῆναι χθονί, 621-622, ἵν᾽ οὗμος .. νέκυς .. αὐτῶν θερμὸν αἷμα πίεται, 644-646, ὁ χῶρός ἐσθ᾽ ὅδε.. ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμ᾽ ἐκβεβληκότων: 786, τῶνδ᾽ ἀπαλλαχθῇ χθονός. In favour of (2) (which the Schol. gives) it may be urged that it makes the rejoinder of Theseus appear more natural.

606. mvp-comment-336-1 τἀμὰ κἀκείνων For the omission of the article with the second word, cp. Εl. 991, καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος. Essay on Language § 21, p. 33.

609. mvp-comment-337-1 συγχεῖ Obliterates, and so destroys. Cp. Hdt. 4. 127, συγχέειν τοὺς πατρωΐους τάφους: 7. 115, τὴν ὁδὸν .. οὐ συγχέουσι : Eur. Ι. Α. 37, καὶ ταὐτὰ πάλιν γράμματα συγχεῖς: Plat. Theaet. 194 E, ἀσαφῆ δὲ (ἴσχουσι) καὶ οἱ τὰ ὑγρὰ (ἔχοντες μνημεῖα) ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ συγχεῖσθαι ταχὺ γίγνεται ἀμυδρά. Essay on Language p. 105.

609. mvp-comment-337-2 παγκρατής i. e. πάντα κρατῶν. Allmastering. Cp. ὁ παγκρατὴς ὕπνος, Αj. 675.

610. mvp-comment-338-1 φθίνει.. φθίνει Ε. on L. § 44. p.83. 612,13. καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτὸν .. πόλει] 'And the same spirit does not last between friend and friend, nor between city and city. By a metaphor derived from the most ancient, and not altogether lost in modern times, the feeling of love or hatred is regarded as a breathing or exhalation. Cp. Aesch. Agam. 1206, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν παλαιστὴς κάρτ᾿ ἐμοὶ πνέων χάριν: Aesch. Cho. 34, κότον πνέων: ib. 952, ὀλέθριον πνέουσ᾽ ἐν ἐχθροῖς κότον: Aesch. Suppl. 30, δέξαιθ'.. αἰδοίῳ πνεύματι χώρας: Plut. Dion. p. 197, τὸ τῶν δημαγωγῶν πνεῦμα. Hence a change of feeling is further compared to a change of wind, as in Aesch. Ag. 219, φρενὸς πνέων δυσσεβῆ τροπαίαν. For the thought, cp. Aj. 679 ff. ὅ τ᾽ ἐχθρὸς ἡμῖν ἐς τοσόνδ' ἐχθαρτέος κ.τ.λ.

613. mvp-comment-339-1 βέβηκεν Almost = ἔστιν, -see Essay on Language p. 97,-but (in relation to πνεῦμα) retaining the notion of fixity or continued movement. For the perfect of βαίνω, expressing a settled state or condition, cp. esp. infra 1684, νῷν δ᾽ ὀλεθρία νὺξ ἐπ᾿ ὄμμασιν βέβακε.

615. mvp-comment-340-1 καὖθις φίλα It often happens in Greek that both sides of a complex statement are put forward when only one is relevant. Cp. Aj. 679 ff. quoted above, Trach. 134-135, τῷ δ᾽ ἐπέρχεται | χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι. But the poet may have chosen to indicate the possibility of future reconcilement between Athens and Thebes.

616. mvp-comment-341-1 εἰ Emphatic, =κεί. Cp. Ant. 551, εἰ γέλωτ᾽ ἐν σοὶ γελῶ. Essay on Language § 28. p. 47.

616-617. mvp-comment-342-1 εὐημερεί καλῶς *τό Elmsley mentions that some MSS. give τέ acgive cented, which may be a remaining trace of the original reading τό or τά, εὐημερεῖ καλῶς τε, i. e. quasi eὖ καλῶς τε ἡμερεῖ, is indefensible, and the objection to the tautology καλῶς εὐημερεῖ is unfounded. See Essay on Language § 40. p. 75. And though on the part of Thebes towards you all be now serene as heart can wish. εὐημερεῖ continues the metaphor in πνεῦμα. τὸ πρὸς σε is epexegetic of the impersonal subject of εὐημερεῖ. All looks fair and well in relation to you:' or (bringing out the image a little more), There is no cloud in the heavens between Thebes and you. For the construction, cp. supra, πρὸς πόλιν πόλει, and Hdt. 3. 49. εἰ μέν νυν Περιάνδρου τελευτήσαντος τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι φίλα ἦν πρὸς Κερκυραίους.

617-618. mvp-comment-343-1 μυρίας .. ἰών There are countless nights and days which time begets in his onward course. For the form of sentence. cp. El. 1364-1366, τοὺς γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ λόγους, πολλαὶ κυκλοῦνται νύκτες ἡμέραι τ᾽ ἴσαι, αἱ ταῦτά σοι δείξουσιν, Ηλέκτρα, σαφή-a passage which also illustrates the present tense, as used of something future but certain.

619-620. mvp-comment-344-1 ἐν αἷς .. δεξιώματα In which they will sunder with the sword on slight pretext your now well-plighted fellowship. The letter corresponding to a in L is rather an unfinished ∞ ( x ) than an a.

620. mvp-comment-345-1 ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου Out of a small occasion. Cp. Εl. 415-416, πολλά τοι σμικροὶ λόγοι | ἔσφηλαν ἤδη καὶ κατώρθωσαν βροτούς.

621. mvp-comment-346-1 ἵν' On the very spot where. 623. Cp. Aj. 783, εἰ Κάλχας σοφός.

624. mvp-comment-347-1 τἀκίνητα For κινεῖν of breaking silence, cp. Ant. 1060, τἀκίνητα διὰ φρενῶν: Ο. Τ. 354, οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ἐξεκίνησας τόδε | τὸ ῥῆμα; 625-626. τὸ σὸν μόνον | πιστὸν φυλάσσων] Either, (1) ‘Only keeping care- fully thine own good faith, or (with πιστόν as supplementary predicate), (2) Only keeping thine own part faithful. The position of πιστόν favours (2).

630. mvp-comment-348-1 ἐφαίνετο is subjective middle.

630. mvp-comment-348-2 ἡ δορύξενος ἑστία The hearth of warlike friendship, the article introducing a general notion, as in Tr. 398, τὸ πιστὸν τῆς ἀληθείας. See Essay on Language § 21. p. 34. The abstract is express- Declared on his own part, or Declared through the concrete; i. e. ἑστία is ed himself ready to perform (ἐφαίνετο τελῶν). Essay on Language § 31. p. 53, d. Cp. Ο. Τ. 148, ὧν ὅδ᾽ ἐξαγγέλλεται: Aj. 1376-1377, τἀπὸ τοῦδ᾽ ἀγγέλλομαι.. εἶναι φίλος.

632-633. mvp-comment-349-1 ὅτου.. ἑστία Whose friendly alliance, first of all, has been ever known amongst us as a common possession; the family of Cadmus being πρόξενοι of Athens and not merely ξένοι of Theseus;

publicum hospitium dicit, ut opponatur ἰδιοξένῳ.

Linw. Or (2), reading ὅτῳ with Suidas, Who, first of all, has a home and place of defence always open to him in our land;' κοινή, in right of a mutual bond. Semper apud se paratum esse Oedipo hospitium pro mutua quadam vel inter ipsos vel inter majores eorum necessitudine.' Herm. Euripides represents Polynices as having been the ξένος of Theseus: Eur. Suppl. 930. For the alliance supposed to exist between Athens and Thebes, cp. supr. 606, 616, 618, infr. 758, 929. used for ξενία, like δόρυ for. πόλεμος. For the expression of a similar feeling, cp. Plat. Legg. 1. 642 Β, τυγχάνει ἡμῶν ἡ ἑστία τῆς πόλεως οὖσα ὑμῶν πρόξενος.

633. mvp-comment-350-1 αἰέν On all occasions,' i. e. independently of his other claims on us.

634-635. mvp-comment-351-1 ἔπειτα.. τίνει The sentence returns from the relative to an independent construction. Essay on Language p. 64. Theseus with noble brevity, (supr. 569), gives two or more reasons in one. Oedipus is (1) an ally, (2) a suppliant claiming Divine protection, (3) he promises to secure victory for Athens.

637. mvp-comment-352-1 ἔμπαλιν On the contrary. The conjectural emendation ἔμπολιν (Musgr.) is unnecessary, and if it were accepted the opposition of clauses would not be sufficiently marked by δé. The word ἔμπολις occurs only once, infra 1156. ('Non opus ἔμπαλιν : fortius ἔμπολιν.' Herm.)

638. mvp-comment-353-1 εἰ δ΄.. μίμνειν δέ = But with regard to the particular spot, referring to the comprehensive word χώρᾳ preceding.

640. mvp-comment-354-1 τούτων, κ.τ.λ. A general apodosis relating to both the preceding clauses is substituted for the apodosis of the latter clause.

640. mvp-comment-354-2 τούτων . . κρίναντι χρῆσθαι χρῆσθαι, sc. τῷ ἑτέρῳ. To make choice between these alternatives and use the one so chosen.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 640, δρᾶσαι.. δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν.

641. mvp-comment-355-1 τῇδε Sc. ᾗ ἂν σὺ κρίνῃς. Cp. Εl. 1301-1302, ὧδ᾽ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον | καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδ᾽.

641. mvp-comment-355-2 ξυνοίσομαι I will concur. 647. μέγ᾽ ἂν λέγοις .. συνουσίας] You seem to intimate a great boon which your abode with us will confer.' ἂν λέγοις = ἔοικας λέγειν, cp. El. 1372, οὐκ ἂν μακρῶν ἔθ᾽ ἡμὲν οὐδὲν ἂν λόγων | Πυλάδη, τόδ' εἴη τοὔργον. τῆς συνουσίας, genitive of relation (Essay on Language § 9. p. 13), A great gift in respect of your dwelling with us.

648. mvp-comment-356-1 If you abide by your words and make them good to me. τελοῦντι, with σοί, proleptic. Cp. O. Τ. 863, εἴ μοι ξυνείη φέροντι | μοῖρα τὰν εὔσεπτον ἁγνείαν λόγων, κ.τ.λ. Some take 76- λοῦντι as agreeing with μοι (cp. 630). But Oedipus has only to remain where he is. The fulfilment of his promise does not take place till after his death. There is no meaning in a condition which is so far in the future.

650. mvp-comment-357-1 Cp. the line attributed to Aeschylus, Fr. 385, οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ὅρκοι πίστις, ἀλλ᾿ ὅρκων ἀνήρ.

651. mvp-comment-358-1 You would gain nought more by that than by my simple word.' 652. Herm. reads άνδρες. But cp. 656, where if the sense was not unfinished the article would be equally required.

654. mvp-comment-359-1 ὅρα με λείπων Beware, in leaving me. ἃ.. δρᾶν] Nauck conj. ἃ χρή μ᾿ ὁρᾶν. But such a transition from the idiomatic imperative ὅρα to this rare use of the inf. ὁρᾶν, 'to provide for (Phil. 504, τὰ δείν᾽ ὁρᾶν), is very unlikely. For the use of a general word like δρᾶν in such a connexion, cp. Αj. 1373, σοὶ δὲ δρᾶν ἔξεσθ᾽ ἃ χρῆς. 658, foll. And many threats and many vain words have ere now been uttered in anger:' (Lit. 'Many threats have uttered many vain words:') but when the mind has power of herself again, nothing remains of all that was so threatened. For ἀπειλαὶ κατηπείλησαν, cp. infr. 794, τὸ σὸν.. στόμα πολλὴν ἔχον στόμωσιν : 779, ὅτ᾽ οὐδὲν ἡ χάρις χάριν φέροι : Plato, Theaet. 153 D, ἕως ἂν ἡ περιφορὰ ἢ κινουμένη, in all of which instances a process is personified and grammatically regarded as the agent. Also infr. 794, for a similar echo of sound. See Essay on Language § 44. p. 83. The conjecture πολλοὶ δὲ πολλοῖς πολλά gives a misplaced emphasis. Qy. πολλοὶ δ᾽ ἀπειλαῖς, κ.τ.λ.?

660. mvp-comment-360-1 αὑτοῦ In its own possession. For the genitive as predicate, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12. A similar emphatic use of αὑτοῦ occurs in Tr. 144, τοιοῖσδε. - χώροισιν αὑτοῦ. 661 ff. And with regard to the Thebans, though they have had the audacity to boast great things about carrying you away, they will find, I am well assured, that the way hither would be over a long and dangerous sea.' δείν] δεῖν' L.

660. mvp-comment-360-2 αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ LA.

660. mvp-comment-360-3 κείνοις is in a twofold construction with ἐπερρώσθη and φανήσεται. ἐπερρώσθη is impersonal, (sc. τὸ λῆμα, ἡ ῥωμή), so that κείνοις ἐπερρώσθη λέγειν is equal το ἐπερρώσθησαν ὥστε λέγειν.

662. mvp-comment-361-1 τῆς σῆς ἀγωγῆς is a genitive of respect.

664. mvp-comment-362-1 ἄνευ, having the force of a preposition, adheres closely to the word which follows it, and the spondee in the 5th foot is thus justified. See on 115 supr. ἐν γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν.

666-667. mvp-comment-363-1 I am sure that, even in my absence (ὅμως.. ἐμοῦ μὴ παρόντος), my name will guard thee from ill.' There is a pause in the action of the play. Oedipus has now received from Theseus himself the final assurance of rest and protection. The scruples of the chorus have been pacified by the words of the king as well as by Ismene's performance of the sacred rites, and the anxiety of Oedipus has been calmed. Creon is on his way from Thebes, but his approach, though apprehended by Oedipus, is not yet present to the mind of the chorus. It is in this moment of tranquil security that the chorus give their welcome to the stranger, and sing the praises of Colonus and Athens.

668. mvp-comment-364-1 Couldst thou find a fairer dwelling-place than this bright land? Here the nightingale keeps haunt, and sings in deep impenetrable coverts of green dells, where no sun, nor wind, but only the joyous presence of Dionysus comes. Here daily blooms the saffron and Demeter's flower, nor do the waters of Cephisus fail, nor Aphrodite shun the spot.

668. mvp-comment-364-2 And there is a better plant than grows in Asian or Dorian soil, that flourishes of itself in this our land, the nurse of childhood, the terror of our foes, the grey-leaved olive, which Zeus and Athena ever protect from harm. Nor has Poseidon left us without his gifts. Our mother-state is famed for horsemanship and famed by sea. Here first the son of Cronos tamed the steed, here swiftly glides the oarèd bark, keeping pace with the multitude of sea-nymphs.

668. mvp-comment-364-3 The metres of this ode are composed with especial care.

668. mvp-comment-364-4 The ruling logaoedic rhythm of the 1st strophe is represented by the following line which, out of 13 lines, holds the Ist, 5th, 7th (and central), 11th, and 13th places. 2 and 12, the second and secondlast lines, also correspond

668. mvp-comment-364-5 u _ u u _ u _ u _ u

668. mvp-comment-364-6 In 3, 4, 8, the logaoedic is shortened to the ordinary glyconic metre

668. mvp-comment-364-7 u _ u u _ u _ _

668. mvp-comment-364-8 and in 6, to the Pherecratean

668. mvp-comment-364-9 _ _ u u _ _

668. mvp-comment-364-10 In 9, the rhythm changes to a purely dactylic movement

668. mvp-comment-364-11 _ u u _ u u _ u u _ u u

668. mvp-comment-364-12 which is followed, in 10, by an Iambic dimeter catalectic

668. mvp-comment-364-13 u _ u _ u _ _

668. mvp-comment-364-14 which smooths the way for the recurrence to the prevailing rhythm. Cp. supr. 229-236, infr. 1675-1676.

668. mvp-comment-364-15 The chief movement in the 2nd strophe is choriambic (II. 1, 2, 6, 8, ) varied with iambic and trochaic, which in 3, 5, 7, are combined in the antispastic or syncopated movement

668. mvp-comment-364-16 u _ u _ | _ u _ u _ x

668. mvp-comment-364-17 while 4 is trochaic dim. hyper-catalectic

668. mvp-comment-364-18 _ u _ u _ u _ u _

668. mvp-comment-364-19 The composition ends with a glyconic and Pherecratean, 9 and 10, recalling the rhythm of the former strophe. The rhythm of the 1st strophe is expressive of repose and gladness, that of the 2nd, of triumph (cp. Ant. 139, 153), ending in repose.

668-669. mvp-comment-365-1 Thou art come, stranger, to the homes of this land famed for steeds, the best homes on earth.

668-669. mvp-comment-365-2 εὐίππου Cp. supra 59, τόνδ' ἱππότην Κολωνόν, and note. The epithet is intended to apply first and specially to Colonus, and then generally to Athens. εὐίππου τᾶσδε χώρας is attributive to τὰ κράτιστα γᾶς ἔπαυλα. Cp. supra 45, ἕδρας γῆς τῆσδ᾽.

668-669. mvp-comment-365-3 γᾶς is partitive genitive with κράτιστα. Cf. infra 739, εἰς πλεῖστον πόλεως.

668-669. mvp-comment-365-4 ἔπαυλα Here generally dwellings, homes, with some association from the care of horses, which was an occupation of the Coloniatae. Cf. Aesch. Pers. 870, Θρηκίων ἐπαύλων.

670. mvp-comment-366-1 τὸν ἀργῆτα Κολωνόν An accusative added epexegetically in the same construction with ἔπαυλα. ἀργῆτα (cp.

670. mvp-comment-366-2 ἀργήεις, ἀργινόεις), gleaming, either from the colour of the rock, or rather from the marble structures, such as the altar of Poseidon, which made it conspicuous in the sunlight from a distance.

670-671. mvp-comment-367-1 ἔνθ᾽ ἁ The addition of the breathing which restores the metre, also, by introducing the article, rather improves the sense. Cp. El. 147, ἀλλ᾿ ἐμέ γ᾿ ὁ στονόεσσ᾽ ἄραρεν φρένας: infra 693, ἁ χρυσάνιος Ἀφροδίτα: 716, ὁ δ᾽ εὐήρετμος. The synaphea is not a strong objection where the metre is continuous, as here, and is at any rate more probable than that a glyconic verse should begin with a dactyl, and θεαῖν, at the end of l. 683, be taken for a monosyllable.

672. mvp-comment-368-1 θαμίζουσα Il. 18.386, πάρος γε μὲν οὔτι θαμίζεις.

673. mvp-comment-369-1 χλωραῖς ὑπὸ βάσσαις In coverts of green glades.ὑπό, with dative= down in. Cp. Ant. 336-337, περιβρυχίοισιν περῶν ὑπ᾿ οἴδμασιν : Ovid, Fast. 4. 427,

Valle sub umbrosa locus est.

674. τὸν οἰνῶπ᾽ ἀνέχουσα κισσόν] Remaining constant to the empurpled (wine-coloured) ivy. For this meaning of ἀνέχω, cp. Aj. 211, λέχος δουριάλωτον | στέρξας ἀνέχει: Eur. Hec. 123, ἀνέχων λέκτρ᾽ Ἀγαμέμνων: Pind. Nem. 7.89, εἰ δ᾽ αὐτὸ καὶ θεὸς ἀνέχοι; and especially Aristides, l. 19 , καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅσοι θεοφιλεῖς, οὐκ Ἄτη πατεῖ τὰς κεφαλάς, Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ ἀνέχει καὶ ἐμβατεύει. The conjecture νέμουσα (Dind.) is certainly not less questionable than the text. νέμειν γῆν may be said, but hardly νέμειν κισσόν, φυλλάδα. (Cp., however, Ar. Av. 239, ἐπὶ κισσοῦ κλάδεσι νομὸν ἔχει). οἰνῶπα refers to the rich colour of the ivy, as if flushed with wine.

675. mvp-comment-370-1 ἄβατον θεοῦ φυλλάδα μυριόκαρΔιόνυσος] ἀμφιπόλων πον The inviolable leafy grove, with countless berries, sacred to the God:' referring chiefly to the laurel and olive bushes, for the epithet ἀνήλιον can hardly apply to the vine: cp. supra 17, δάφνης, ἐλαίας, ἀμπέλου. For μυριόκαρπον, cp. O. T. 83. And for θεοῦ φυλλάδα, cp. Trach. 754, βωμοὺς ὁρίζει τεμενίαν τε φυλλάδα.

675. mvp-comment-370-2 θεοῦ Probably Dionysus, to whom such thickets are sacred, as δενδρίτης θεός. Pind. Fr. 130, δενδρέων δὲ νομὸν Διόνυσος πολυγαθὴς αὐξάνοι. The mention of him is suggested by the ivy, and he is presently spoken of by name as haunting the spot. Cp. the similar introduction of Poseidon in 709, foll., and of Nessus in Tr. 556-558.

676. mvp-comment-371-1 ἀνήλιον. - χειμώνων Cp. Od. 5. 478 sqq., τοὺς (θάμνους sc.) μὲν ἄρ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἀνέμων διάη μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων, | οὔτε ποτ' ἠέλιος φαέθων ἀκτῖσιν ἔβαλλεν, | οὔτ᾽ ὄμβρος περάασκε διαμπερές, ib. 19, 440, ff. For the genitive, see Essay on Language § 10. p. 16.

680. mvp-comment-372-1 θείαις.. τιθήναις The Nymphs of Nysa, who, according to a legend, were the nurses of the infant Bacchus, Il. 6.132, Διωνύσοιο τιθῆναι. Το the conjecture θεαῖς, which has been suggested for the metre, may be objected, (1) that the fem of θεόs is not elsewhere found as a monosyllable (unless in 683); (2) that the Nymphs are not properly spoken of as θεαί.

680. mvp-comment-372-2 ἀμφιπολῶν Careering round. A picturesque inversion, representing the confusion of the Bacchanalian rout, in which it is uncertain who leads and who follows. But qy. ἀμφίπολος, used passively, as in Pind. Ol. 1. 96, τύμβον ἀμφίπολον ἔχων ? 681-693. The antistrophe passes from the wooded hollow to the open height, on which the crocus and narcissus blow: and then to the meadow that is watered by the stream.

681. mvp-comment-373-1 οὐρανίας ὑπ᾿ ἄχνας ‘By the dew of heaven from above.

682. mvp-comment-374-1 καλλίβοτρυς With fair clusters,' i. e. with several heads upon a stem.

683. mvp-comment-375-1 μεγάλαιν θεαΐν The great Goddesses, Demeter and Persephone. See the Hymn to Demeter, 11. 6-18, where Persephone, after gathering crocus and other flowers, is tempted by a narcissus with a hundred heads, which Earth purposely causes to grow, so as to fix the attention of the maiden until Pluto comes. Ancient commentators observed that the chaplet worn in honour of Demeter and Persephone was not one of flowers, but of myrtle, or of ears of grain, and they proposed either to read μεγαλᾶν θεᾶν, referring to the Eumenides, whom Euphorion had described ας ναρκίσσῳ ἐπιστεψέες πλοκαμίδας, or to emphasize ἀρχαῖον, with reference to the former time before Persephone was carried away. But see note on 685.

685. mvp-comment-376-1 χρυσαυγής Cp. Tennyson, Oenone,

And at their feet the crocus brake like fire.

The Schol. observes that Sophocles in the Niobe makes the 685

687. mvp-comment-377-1 Κηφισού κηφισσοῦ Β Vat.

687. mvp-comment-377-2 ἐπινίσσεται ἐπινίσεται L. ἐπινείσεται AR. crocus an emblem of Demeter. οὐδ᾽ ἄϋπνοι κρῆναι μινύθουσιν Κηφισοῦ νομάδες ῥεέθρων] Either (1) Nor fail the ever-wakeful springs that feed Cephisus stream,' referring to the abundant fountain-heads on the slopes of Parnes: or (2) Nor do the ever-wakeful rills decrease, dispensers of Cephisus' flood,' referring to the system of irrigation (διανομή) that goes on to this day. Although this allusion to an artificial process may seem unpoetical to the modern reader, the latter interpretation agrees better with πεδίων ἐπινίσσεται, besides giving a more definite meaning to νομάδες, and one immediately connected with Colonus. For a similar allusion in lyric poetry, cp. Pind. Ol. 5. 12, καὶ σεμνοὺς ὀχετούς, Ιππαρις οἶσιν ἄρδει στράτον. For the meaning of νομάδες, cp. Plat. Legg. 11. 931 C, δίκαιοι νομεῖς .. ἀγαθῶν, where νομεύς is similarly used.

688. mvp-comment-378-1 ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν .. χθονός But ever, each new day, with quickening power, he (Cephisus) pours his clear waters over the bosom of the plain. ἐπ᾽ ἤματι] Not=ἦμαρ ἐπ᾽ ἤματι ('day after day'), but on each day, like кат' ἦμαρ. Cp. Heracl. Fr., ἥλιος νέος ἐφ᾿ ἡμερῇ. The hiatus between this and the following line indicates a pause before the change of rhythm.

689. mvp-comment-379-1 ὠκυτόκος Schol. ὠκύτοκα ποιῶν τὰ πεδία καὶ ἔγκαρπα. Ellendt rightly observes that this explanation may stand although πεδίων is to be joined (in the first instance) with ἐπινίσσεται.

690. mvp-comment-380-1 For the general use of ὄμβρος for the element of water, cp. O. T. 1428, μήτ᾿ ὄμβρος ἱρός. Ε. on L. p. 98.

691. mvp-comment-381-1 στερνούχου Cp. Hes. Th. 117, γαῖ᾽ εὐρύστερνος. Schol. ἴσον τῷ γονίμου. Meineke conj. σπερμούχου.

691. mvp-comment-381-2 οὐδὲ Μουσᾶν, κ.τ.λ. Cp. the praise of Athens in Eur. Med. 830 ff. There was a temple of the Muses, near that of Athena, in the Academy. Paus. 1.30, 2.

692. mvp-comment-382-1 viv The region,' i. e. Colonus and the neighbourhood.

692. mvp-comment-382-2 οὐδ᾽ *ἄρ᾽ | ὁ χρυσάνιος Ἀφροδίτα There is some defect in the MS. text, as the hiatus οὐδὲ | å is not admissible between the two logaoedic lines. οὐδέ γ' | ἁ (Brunck), οὐδὲ | μάν (Herm.), have been conjectured. οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ | ἁ may be suggested: ἄpa, i. e, as the beauty of the region testifies.

693. mvp-comment-383-1 χρυσάνιος Ἀφροδίτα Cp. χρυσόνωτον ἡνίαν, Αj. 847.

694. mvp-comment-384-1 ἔστιν δ᾽ οἷον . . βλαστόν In expatiating on the glories of their home, the religious mind of the Coloniatae dwells chiefly on the rival gifts of Poseidon, their patron deity, and of Athena, the special patroness of horsemen (infr. 1070), and of the Morian olives (706), as well as of Athens and of the tree in the Acropolis. The chorus are thinking chiefly of their own neighbourhood. Only in ll. 711, 716-9, do they speak of what relates to Athens apart from Colonus. The olive-plant immediately referred to is that in the Academy, mentioned by Pausanias as Division of 698.

694. mvp-comment-384-2 ἐκχέων Α. having sprung up independently of the one in the Acropolis :-δεύτερον τοῦτο λεγόμενον φανῆναι, Paus. 1. 32. On the sacred feeling attaching to the Athenian olive, see also Hdt. 5. 82, 8. 55. The genitive, γᾶς Ἀσίας, is rather partitive than possessive, and to be taken closely with ἐπακούω. A thing such as I cannot hear of anywhere in the Asian land, nor as having ever sprung, etc. The participle βλαστόν is introduced by an afterthought in the second clause. The Peloponnese is called a Dorian island by an anachronism similar to that by which the Athenian youth are called Theseidae in 1066. Asia and the Peloponnese are cited as the two rivals of Athenian greatness.

698. mvp-comment-385-1 φύτευμα is the subject of ἔστιν, although not thought of at the beginning of the sentence.

698. mvp-comment-385-2 ἀχείρωτον This reading is supported by the remark of Pollux, 2. 154, which probably refers to this passage, ἀχείρωτον δὲ Σοφοκλῆς εἶπε τὸ ἀχειρούργητον. The simpler interpretation, however, is more probable, unravaged, anticipating the thought in 699 and 702-705.

698. mvp-comment-385-3 αὐτόποιον Self-created, That springeth ever of itself; i.e. That needs not to be renewed by human agency.

700. mvp-comment-386-1 τᾷδε .. χώρᾳ i. e. (1) Along the banks of the Cephisus: or (2) in Attica generally. Cp. Hdt. 5. 82, λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς ἐλαῖαι ἦσαν ἄλλοθι γῆς οὐδαμοῦ κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, ἡ Ἀθήνῃσι.

701. mvp-comment-387-1 παιδοτρόφου Simply childnourishing. Cp. Hes. Op. 226, εἰρήνη δ᾽ ἀνὰ γῆν κουρότροφος. The interpretations which refer to the custom of suspending an olive-crown where a male child was born, or to the propagation of shoots and offsets from the parent stock, are more ingenious than true. For the synecdoche, φύλλον ἐλαίας, cp. Αj. 14, ὦ φθέγμ᾽ Ἀθάνας.

702. mvp-comment-388-1 τὸ μέν τις οὔ, *νεαρὸς οὔτε γήρα This line seems to have been tampered with by some one who had an ear for the iambic rhythm. The simplest alteration is to omit te and place a comma after οὔ. Which no commander, young or old... For the order of τις οὔ, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 71, and for the omission of the first οὔτε, ib. § 39, p. 67, and Phil. 771, ἑκόντα μήτ᾽ ἄκοντα. For the variety of expression (veapὸς σημαίνων, γήρα σημαίνων), cp. Ant. 808, νέατον φέγγος λεύσσουσαν κούποτ' αὖθις: and for the dative γήρᾳ, which has given offence, Ο.Τ. 172, οὔτε τόκοισιν ἀνέχουσι γυναῖκες. μέν, assuredly. Cp. El. 1240, τόδε μὲν οὔποτ᾽ ἀξιώσω τρέσαι, κ.τ.λ. Sophocles, in his description, blends the olive of the region, whether that in the temple of Athena Polias in the Acropolis, which Xerxes could not destroy (Hdt. 8.55), or the olives of the Academy which according to Androtion, quoted by the Schol., Archidamus spared, with the olive generally.

703. mvp-comment-389-1 σημαίνω is used in the Homeric sense of to command an army. II.16.172, πέντε δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἡγεμόνας ποιήσατο, τοῖς ἐπεποίθει | σημαίνειν. The allusion which has been found in this passage to the invasions of Xerxes and Archidamus, is not improbable.

703. mvp-comment-389-2 Λακεδαιμόνιοι γὰρ ἐμβαλόντες ἐν τῇ Αττικῇ δέκα μυριάσι Πελοποννησίων καὶ Βοιωτῶν ἡγουμένου Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Ζευξιδάμου Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλέως, ἀπέσχοντο τῶν λεγομένων μορίων, Ἀθηνᾷ θύσαντες, (Ἀθηνῶν δείσαντες, Meineke conj.), ὡς Ανδροτίων φησί, Schol. See also the quotation from Istrus in Schol. on 701. The reading of L, εἰσαιὲν ὁρῶν, sustains the choriambic rhythm; and παραπτομένα in the antistrophe is justly suspected. See note on 717.

703. mvp-comment-389-3 κύκλος Phil. 1338, ὦ τὰ πάντ᾿ ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ κύκλοι.

705. mvp-comment-390-1 Μορίου Διός i. e. Zeus regarded as the protector of the μορίαι or sacred olives in the Academy. Cp. Ar. Nub. 1005. Apollodorus, quoted by the Schol., says, περὶ Ἀκαδήμειαν ἐστὶν ὅ τε τοῦ Καταιβάτου Διὸς βωμός, ὃν καὶ Μόριον καλοῦσι, τῶν ἐκεῖ μορίων παρὰ τὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν ἱδρυμένων.

706. mvp-comment-391-1 γλαυκώπις occurs here only in the extant plays of Sophocles. Probably grey-eyed, cp. γλαυκᾶς supr. 701. Essay on Language § 44. p. 82. a

707. mvp-comment-392-1 ἄλλον . . εὐθάλασσον I have yet another mighty praise for this city that hath reared me, the gift of that great deity, to tell, her great pride, that she is renowned for the fairest steeds, the fairest colts, and for glorious sea. εἰπεῖν is added epexegetically in construction with ἔχω. The adjectives, εὔιππον, etc., agree with αὐτήν, which is to be supplied as the object of εἰπεῖν, if indeed some word equivalent to this has not been lost. Porson, to complete the metre, supplied χθονός before αύχημα. But perhaps the line may have stood, δῶρον τοῦ μεγάλου δαίμονος, εἰπεῖν γέ νιν, αὔχημα μέγιστον, κ.τ.λ. ματροπόλει = 'the state our mother.' Cp. 1480, γᾷ ματέρι. The word probably refers to Athens, as presiding over the smaller townships. But in ταίσδε .. ἀγνιαῖς, infr. 715, the neighbourhood of Colonus is meant.

712. mvp-comment-393-1 For, son of Cronos, it was thou... γάρ is postponed after the vocative.

713. mvp-comment-394-1 αὔχημ᾿ For the unconscious repetition of aὔχημα, see Essay on Language § 44. p. 84.

714. mvp-comment-395-1 The dative ἵπποισι depends immediately on κτίσας, and is to be resumed with ἀκεστῆρα. Having framed for horses the bit, which tames their rage. Cp. Pind. O1. 13. 85, φάρμακον πραῦ τείνων ἀμφὶ γένυι.

715. mvp-comment-396-1 ταῖσδε κτίσας ἀγυιαῖς Having instituted in these roads. κτίσας, having invented and brought into use. ταῖσδε . . ἀγυιαîs] In the roads about Colonus. The note of the Schol. here is curious: ὁ γὰρ Κολωνὸς ἱππεὺς ὠνομάσθη, παρ' ἃς ἐξεθέμην αἰτίας διὰ τὸν Ἄδραστον (κατ' Ἀνδροτίωνα, Rom. ed.). ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ σεμνότατον ἄγει τὸ πράγμα.

716-719. mvp-comment-397-1 These lines expand the epithet εὐθάλασσον. 'And the well-plied oar, passing through the sea, flits wondrously by the hand of man, and darts onward, following in the track of innumerable Nereids. ἁλία may be taken either as an attribute of πλάτα, or with the participle.

716. mvp-comment-398-1 εὐήρετμος Rather from εὖ ἐρέσσω than from εὖ ἐρετμόν. Join ἔκπαγλα θρώσκει.

716. mvp-comment-398-2 χερσὶ παραπτομένα has been taken to mean fitted to the hand. But this is prosaic, and interferes with the figure by which the oar is put for the ship. As in O. T. 17, πτέσθαι may be a syncopated form of πέτεσθαι. But the metre is doubtful, cp. supr. 704.

716. mvp-comment-398-3 ραϊσσομένα, περιπτυσσσομένα, παραιπεμ πομένα, have been conjectured.

716. mvp-comment-398-4 πα-

718. mvp-comment-399-1 ἑκατομπόδων As in ἑκατογκάρανος, ἑκατόγχειρος, ἕκατον is used vaguely to give the impression of multitude. The first part of the epithet is most important, as in πυκνόπτεροι, etc., the second part being chiefly pictorial. An allusion to the number 50 would be an awkward conceit; and the bare mention of an exact number, such as 100, would have no poetic force. 721 ff. Ismene is not yet returned. The dreaded Creon is seen advancing instead. The boast of a strong dwellingplace, and of the unconquered olivetree, will now be put to proof. νῦν σοὶ.. δὴ σοί, sc. πάρεστι, cp. Phil. 1165, ἀλλὰ γνῶθ᾽, εὖ γνῶθ᾽, ὅτι σοὶ | κῆρα τάνδ᾽ ἀποφεύγειν. The conjecture σόν in both places is unnecessary. δή emphasizes the whole sentence: cp. Ant. 726, οἱ τηλικοίδε καὶ διδαξόμεσθα δὴ | φρονεῖν, κ.τ.λ. The reading δεῖ may have arisen from the difficulty of σοί, and the unusual position of δή. φαίνειν] Causative, as in Phil. 297, ἔφην᾿ ἄφαντον φῶς. Cause these words to shine, shine,' i. e. manifest their truth in action : = ἀποδιδόναι ἐναργῆ. Cp. Τr. 239, εὐκταῖα φαίνων: Pind. Nem. 10. 11, Ζεὺς .. τοῦτον κατέφανε λόγον: Hdt. 3. 36, εὔνοιαν φαίνων.

723. mvp-comment-400-1 ἡμῖν ἡμῖν, the dative of remote reference, has greater liveliness than ἡμῶν, which has been conjectured here. Here is Creon coming to trouble us.

725. mvp-comment-401-1 τέρμα τῆς σωτηρίας The end of safety; i. e. The safety that is the end of my desire.

726. mvp-comment-402-1 θάρσει, παρέσται Fear not: you shall have your wish. The same words occur above (305) in a different connection. Elms. prefers κυρῶ to ἐγώ. 728-1043. Creon advances with his two attendants, and deprecating suspicion, attempts to persuade Oedipus to come home to Thebes, for his own and daughters' sake, according to the unanimous wish of the people. Oedipus, who is informed by Ismene, and by the oracles he had formerly received, of the real intention of the Thebans, indignantly resents the cruel meaning of the fair-sounding offer; taunts Creon with hypocrisy, in first banishing him against his will, and now trying to draw him unwillingly from Athens: and utters a curse on Creon and on his sons. altercation continues till Creon throws off the mask of gentleness, avows that he has seized Ismene, and threatens to carry off Antigone. The chorus (834 ff.) expostulate, and call for aid. He per- The

727. mvp-comment-403-1 γεγήρακεν L. sists, and sends her away by his servants, adding reproaches against Oedipus, and, on the chorus further expostulating, threatens to lay hands on Oedipus, who thus provoked, utters a special curse on Creon. A scuffle ensues between the two old men: Creon taking hold of Oedipus to drag him away. The chorus (877 ff.) again cry aloud for help, and Theseus, who has been sacrificing at a neighbouring altar, enters in haste. On learning what is the matter, he orders the people from the sacrifices to pursue the fugitives, and threatens Creon with arrest if the maidens are not produced immediately. He is sure that Thebes will not resent this. She cannot countenance such violence. Creon then speaks for himself. He could not have supposed that Athens would have cared to protect his kindred, or would have received an incestuous person and a parricide under the shadow of the hill of Ares. Hefurther excuses his assault by the curses of Oedipus. He is in Theseus' hands, but will resist harsh treatment. The mention of hisunwitting crimes calls forth a fresh outburst of passion from Oedipus. Theseus breaks off further conference by peremptorily commanding Creon to show him where the maidens are. Oedipus is left alone with the chorus. Cp. O. T. 512-862.

729. mvp-comment-404-1 ὁρῶ . . ἐπεισόδου I see that a sudden fear has overcast your eyes at my coming in. ὀμμάτων is a genitive of place, or of the part affected. For εἰληφότας, cp. Αj. 345, τάχ᾽ ἄν τιν αἰδῶ κἀπ᾿ ἐμοὶ βλέψας λάβοι: Eur. Suppl. 1050. ὀργὴν λάβοις ἂν τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων | κλύων: Plat. Soph. 243 C, ταὐτὸν τοῦτο πάθος εἰληφότες ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. And for the whole expression, Aesch. Eum. 407, θαῦμα δ᾽ ὄμμασιν πάρα: Eur. I. A. 1128, Ar. Vesp. 447-

731. mvp-comment-405-1 μήτ᾿ ἀφῆτ᾽ ἔπος κακόν As often happens, the sentence passes out of the relative construction. Cp. supr. 467.

732. mvp-comment-406-1 Creon endeavours to allay the alarm occasioned by his coming, and to win confidence by dwelling (1) on his own age and apparent feebleness, (2) on the age and condition of Oedipus, which needed protection at home, (3) on his intention to use persuasion only. (4) on the public authority and responsibility of his mission, (5) on his personal and private motives for undertaking it.

734. mvp-comment-407-1 εἴ τιν᾿ Ἑλλάδος For the attraction, cp. Aj 488. εἴπερ τινὸς σθένοντος ἐν πλούτῳ Φρυγῶν. Ε. on L. § 35. p. 60.

735. mvp-comment-408-1 ἄνδρα τόνδε τηλικόνδ᾽ ἀπεστάλην The text, while giving a more natural order of the words than the VOL. I. Aa ï conjecture τηλικόσδ' ἀπεστάλην, is also capable of a suitable meaning. Creon, wishing to show the reasonableness of his coming, points to the extreme age and feebleness of Oedipus as a ground for inducing him to return under the protection of Thebes. There is a peculiar emphasis on the words τηλικόνδε and πείσων, i. e. To induce this poor old man by persuasion only to return home.' For the combination of the demonstrative with the pronominal adj., cp. Phil. 128, τοῦτον τὸν αὐτὸν ἄνδρα: ib. 572 πρὸς ποῖον ἂν τόνδ'..;

738. mvp-comment-409-1 οὔνεχ᾽ ἡκέ μοι γένει Since kindred makes it incumbent on me. For ἧκε, the simple for the compound verb, see Essay on Language p. 101-104, and cp. Phil. 141, σὲ δ', ὦ τέκνον, τόδ᾽ ἐλήλυθεν πᾶν κράτος ὠγύγιον. And for a similar use of προσήκει, cp. Hdt. 8. 100, οὐδὲν πρὸς Πέρσας τοῦτο προσήκει τὸ πάθος.

739. mvp-comment-410-1 εἰς πλεῖστον πόλεως Above all that are in the city.

742. mvp-comment-411-1 δικαίως Rightfully. Cp. Aj. 1108-1110, τόνδε δ'.. εἰς ταφᾶς ἐγὼ θήσω δικαίως.

742. mvp-comment-411-2 ἐκ δὲ τῶν] Essay on Language § 21. p. 30.

743. mvp-comment-412-1 πλεῖστον .. κάκιστος Cp. Phil. 631, τῆς πλεῖστον ἐχθίστης ἐμοὶ | κλύοιμ' ἐχίδνης.

745. mvp-comment-413-1 ὄντα μὲν. ἀλήτην A stranger, and not only so, but ever wandering.

746. mvp-comment-414-1 ἐπὶ προσπόλου μιᾶς With the support of one attendant. ἐπί, as it were leaning on. The expression is analogous to ὁρμεῖν ἐπ᾿ ἀγκύρας, Hdt. 7.188.

749. mvp-comment-415-1 ὅσον i. e. εἰς ὅσον, one preposition, as frequently happens, sufficing both for antecedent and relative.

751. mvp-comment-416-1 τηλικοῦτος At her age, i. e. just approaching womanhood. Cp. supr. 345-346, ἐξ ὅτου νέας | τροφῆς ἔληξε καὶ κατίσχυσεν δέμας. For the termination, cp. El. 614. 753 ff. Alas, I have uttered a sad reproach upon thee and me and our whole race. And yet, what is openly displayed cannot be concealed: wherefore do you, Oedipus. be induced by me to return voluntarily to thy city and palace and to hide thy disgrace there. For ἆρα, see Essay on Language § 29. p. 50. Creon professes to be horror-struck at his own words (ἆρ᾽ ἄθλιον τοὔνειδος, κ.τ.λ.): but excuses himself by the publicity which Oedipus gives to their common calamity in wandering from home. It rests with him to bury the reproach within the palace walls, where his daughter at least will find protection, and his kindred will not have the shame of seeing him an outcast. Cp. O. Τ. 1425, foll. τὴν γοῦν .. φλόγα | αἰδεῖσθ᾽ ἄνακτος Ἡλίου, τοιόνδ᾽ ἄγος | ἀκάλυπτον οὕτω δεικνύναι, κ.τ.λ.: Εl. 624-625, σύ τοι λέγεις νιν, οὐκ ἐγώ. σὺ γὰρ ποιεῖς | τοὔργον· τὰ δ᾽ ἔργα τοὺς λόγους εὑρίσκεται.

757. mvp-comment-417-1 θελήσας Consenting. Cp. Ο. Τ. 649, πιθοῦ θελήσας, κ.τ.λ.

758. mvp-comment-418-1 τήνδε τὴν πόλιν φίλως εἰπών First giving words of friendship to this city: for she deserves them well.' giving

759. mvp-comment-419-1 ἡ δ᾽ οἴκοι Sc. πόλις, cp. supr. 433, τὴν .. αὐτίχ᾽ ἡμέραν. ‘But the city you have left behind, which so long nourished you, has by right a stronger claim to be reverenced by you.'

760. mvp-comment-420-1 δίκῃ Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

760. mvp-comment-420-2 σέβοιτο For the passive, which occurs here only, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 54.

760. mvp-comment-420-3 πάλαι i. e. in his prosperity, which is now regarded as long past.

761-762. mvp-comment-421-1 κἀπὸ .. ποικίλον Who out of every cause wouldst bring some subtle fabrication of a just plea.Cp. infr. 806-807, ἄνδρα δ᾽ οὐδέν᾽ οἶδ᾽ ἐγὼ | δίκαιον, ὅστις ἐξ ἅπαντος εὖ λέγει. The present participle, as in Phil. 1052, νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρήζων ἔφυν, is used to express a quality without reference to time (Essay on Language § 32. p. 55), and is combined with ἄν, so that ἂν φέρων = ὅστις ἂν φέροις.

763. mvp-comment-422-1 ταῦτα is cognate or adverbial accusative. Herm. reads καί με. But for the slight emphasis on the pronoun, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 78 €.

764. mvp-comment-423-1 In a matter, in which I should be most vexed if I were caught. ἐν οἷς = ἐν τούτοις ἐν οἷς. In that particular in which, i. e. in his relation to Thebes and to his sons, in which he was most bent on continuing the present estrangement.

765. mvp-comment-424-1 This is brought in to explain δεύτερον in 763.

765. mvp-comment-424-2 τοῖσιν οἰκείοις κακοῖς When I was absorbed in my own personal sorrows. Ср. О. Т. 1414-1415, τἀμὰ γὰρ κακὰ | οὐδεὶς οἷός τε πλὴν ἐμοῦ φέρειν βροτῶν. Probably not my self-inflicted evils, although this might be supported by comparing El. 215, οἰκείας εἰς ἄτας : Αj. 919. ἀπ᾿ οἰκείας σφαγῆς.

768. mvp-comment-425-1 ἡνίκ᾽ ἤδη μεστὸς ἢ θυμούμενος Cp. Dem. de Falsa Legat. 1175-1174, ἐπειδὴ δὲ μεστὸς ἐγένετο ἀγανακτῶν.

769. mvp-comment-426-1 The line καὶ μάνθανον τὸν θυμὸν ἐκδραμόντα μοι, repeated here from supr. 438. has been rejected by all recent editors. Cp. O. T. 1200. and v. rr.

770. mvp-comment-427-1 τότ᾽ ἐξεώθεις κἀξέβαλλες Then you began to thrust me forth and banish me.

771. mvp-comment-428-1 τὸ συγγενές τοῦτ' The tie of kindred of which you now speak; supr. 738 Cp. Aesch. Prom. 39, τὸ συγ γενές τοι δεινόν.

773. mvp-comment-429-1 καὶ γένος τὸ πᾶν 'And the Aa2 whole people,' i.e not only the authorities of the city (Theseus), but the inhabitants with one consent. Cp. Aj. 861, κλειναί τ' Ἀθῆναι καὶ τὸ σύντροφον γένος. The words in both places are intended to move the Athenian audience.

774. mvp-comment-430-1 You try to tear me away, with cruel speeches couched in flattering terms.

775. mvp-comment-431-1 τίς αὕτη appears not only in B Vat., followed by Triclinius, but also in L². The parallel of Thuc. 3. 12, τίς οὖν αὕτη ἡ φιλία ἢ ἐλευθερία πιστή; the frequent use of ὥσπερ without a definite antecedent in introducing an illustration, the doubtful correlation of τοσαύτη ὥσπερ (cp., however, El. 532, οὐκ ἴσον καμὼν ἐμοὶ λύπης, ὅτ᾽ ἔσπειρ᾽, ὥσπερ ἡ τίκτουσ᾽ ἐγώ), and the fact that the reading τίς αὕτη is not confined to one family of MSS, lead to the conclusion that the reading of LAV³, τοσαύτη, like σημαίνει for σαίνει, supr. 320, is a clerical error. τέρψις, repeated by unconscious tautology from supr. 766, is here active.

776. mvp-comment-432-1 σοί is accented because of the antithesis in 781, καὶ σὺ προσφέρεις ἐμοί. As in the speech beginning at l. 960, esp. in l. 992, Oedipus uses the argumentum ad hominem in the debate with Creon. And yet what kindness is there in befriending men against their will? Suppose, for instance, when you were eager to obtain some boon, one were to refuse and grant you nothing, and not choose to gratify you, but when your soul was already satisfied, were then to make the offer, when the kindness was no longer kind! Would not that be an empty satisfaction for you to obtain? Yet such is the favour you now offer me.

780. mvp-comment-433-1 The stress is on ματαίου. Would not the pleasure so received by you be vain?'

785-786. mvp-comment-434-1 πόλις δέ σοι... χθονός And your city may come off unharmed from her encounter with the land of these men.For ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, to come out of a contest. cp Ar. Plut. 271-272, μῶν ἀξιοῖς φενακίσας ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλαγῆναι | ἀζήμιος: and for χθών personified, cp. infr. 912, Ant. 187. The natural pause after κακῶν ἄνατος prevents ambiguity in τῶνδε. Others read τῆσδ᾽ ἀπαλλαχθῇ χθονός, with the meaning, may get out of this land, which is less forcible.

787. mvp-comment-435-1 Join (1) ἐκεῖ χώρας. My evil genius ever lurking in the region of that land. The genitive is not strictly partitive. For a similar instance where the genitive and locative adverb are co-extensive, cp. Phil. 899, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ. Οr (2), χώρας ἀλάστωρ οὑμός, My vengeful spirit ravaging the land. But this twofold relation of ἀλάστωρ makes a harsh expression, and the pause before ἐκεῖ requires that the sense should run on to the word immediately following it. For the general meaning, cp. Aesch. Suppl. 413-415, μήτ᾿ ἐν θεῶν ἕδραισιν ὧδ' ἱδρυμένας | ἐκδόντες ὑμᾶς τὸν πανώλεθρον θεὸν | βαρὺν ξύνοικον θησόμεσθ' ἀλάστορα.

790. mvp-comment-436-1 'They shall inherit their father's land, only by dying there.' The comparison of Aesch. S. c. Τ. 730, ὠμόφρων σίδαρος | χθόνα ναίειν διαπήλας ὁπόσαν καὶ φθιμένοισι | κατέχειν, τῶν μεγάλων πεδίων ἀμοίρους, is just, but the thought is not identical, for ἐνθανεῖν is in apposition to λαχεῖν τοσοῦτον, and not merely epexegetic of τοσοῦτον = ἐν ὅσῳ ἐνθανεῖν. The words therefore do not refer to the six feet of earth, but to the fact that the only part of their inheritance the sons obtain is to die on Theban ground. Cp. Ant. 146-147. 794-795. But you are come hither with a feigned tongue full of sharpness.' For ὑπόβλητον, cp. Αj. 188, ὑποβαλλόμενοι κλέπτουσι μύθους. And for the play of words in στόμα .. στόμωσιν, see Essay on Language § 44. p. 82.

796. mvp-comment-437-1 τὰ πλείονα The article defines the more in contradistinction to the fewer.

797. mvp-comment-438-1 ἀλλ᾽ οἶδα γάρ (as often with ἀλλὰ γάρ) gives the reason for breaking off and saying no more.

797. mvp-comment-438-2 ταῦτα refers not to the whole tenor of the speech but to the γνώμη, ἐν δὲ τῷ λέγειν, κ.τ.λ. But I know that to this warning you will not attendenough then, begone!

798. mvp-comment-439-1 οὐ γὰρ ἂν κακῶς Said scornfully in answer to Creon's expressions of affected pity.

799. mvp-comment-440-1 εἰ τερποίμεθα If I have what I desire. The optative puts the case generally, because of the uncertainty of Oedipus' mode of life.

800-801. mvp-comment-441-1 Do you think that the course of our present talk is disastrous for me in my relation to your affairs? (referring to 787 ff., 795-796). Are not your words much more disastrous to yourself? Schol. ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐν τῷ μὴ πείθεσθαί σε μᾶλλον σὺ δυστυχεῖς ἤπερ ἐγώ. i. e. You accuse me of ignorance of your and your sons' destiny (1.787, 8): but you show much greater ignorance of your own best interests by refusing to come.

802. mvp-comment-442-1 μήτ᾿ ἐμέ.. μήτε τούσδε The emphasis is on τούσδε : μήτ᾿ ἐμέ is taken for granted, and only introduced for the sake of the antithesis It would delight me, if you fail in persuading these men here as you will fail to persuade me.

805. mvp-comment-443-1 λῦμα τῷ γήρα For the dative, see Essay on Language § 13. c, p. 19.

807. mvp-comment-444-1 ἐξ ἅπαντος In every cause. Cp. supr. 761-762.

810. mvp-comment-445-1 οὐ δῆθ᾿ ὅτῳ γε νοῦς ἴσος καὶ σοὶ πάρα (1) My words are certainly not seasonable in the judgment of one who has so little sense as you have; i. e. A wise speech sleeps in a foolish ear. Schol. τοῖς κατὰ σὲ οὐ δοκῶ καίρια λέγειν. For the dative, see Essay on Language § 13. p. 20, e. Or (2), I do not speak seasonably, in speaking to one so devoid of understanding. Cp Cp. Aesch. Prom. 983, σὲ γὰρ προσηύδων οὐκ ἄν, ὄνθ᾽ ὑπηρέτην. For ἴσος καί, cр. О. Т. 1187.

812. mvp-comment-446-1 φύλασσ᾽ ἐφορμῶν ἔνθα χρὴ ναίειν ἐμέ Two explanations of this are possible, (1) Keep watching (lit. blockading) me and prescribing my abode;' the notion of dictation being implied in φύλασσ᾽ ἐφορμῶν: (2) Keep watching me and blockading my destined dwelling place. For (1) cp. El. 16, τί χρὴ δρᾶν ἐν τάχει βουλευτέον; supr. 654, μὴ δίδασχ' ἃ χρή με δρᾶν. But (2) is more pointed, and on the whole more probab'e.

813. mvp-comment-447-1 μαρτύρομαι τούσδ', οὐ σέ Το them I appeal and not to you! And for the terms of your answer to your friends, if I once take you --. The intended threat ('you shall answer at Thebes') is broken off by Oedipus' retorting, But who can take me,' etc. Creon angrily repels the claim of Oedipus to speak for the Attic elders (ἐρῶ πρὸ τῶνδε), whom he calls to witness Oedipus' treatment of him. The latter words refer (1) to the lines in which Oedipus curses his sons (ἔστιν δὲ παισὶν μόνον), which Creon treats as the answer to the message which he had brought from the Καδμείων λέως: cp. infr. 850, φίλους ὑφ᾽ ὧν ἐγὼ | ταχθεὶς τάδ' ἔρδω. The structure closely resembles Hom. Il. 1. 338, τὰ δ᾽ αὐτὼ μάρτυροι ἔστων, | πρός τε θεῶν μακάρων, πρός τε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, | καὶ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλῆος ἀπηνέος· εἴποτε δ' αΰτε | χρειὼ ἐμεῖο γένηται ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι | τοῖς ἄλλοις, where the final threat is in like manner suppressed. In the present passage, however, dé is strictly adversative, distinguishing Creon's personal injury from the supposed offence against Eteocles and the Thebans: unless (2) φίλους refers to Creon himself, as professing friendly intentions and as next of kin. But cp. supr. 788-790.

816. mvp-comment-448-1 κἄνευ τῶνδε Without this, i. e. without my taking you. The ambiguity of τῶνδε would probably not be felt by a Greek, and is not a sufficient reason for altering the reading to τοῦδε, 817. Creon's tone implied that something had been done. Seeing that the chorus as well as Oedipus are impracticable, he breaks into open hostility, and avows the capture of Ismene, who had been seized and carried off before she could return from making her offering.

820. mvp-comment-449-1 οἰμώζειν τάδε (1) ‘Το exclaim at this;' τάδε, the capture of the maidens; or (2), τάδε, cogn. acc., thus to exclaim. Probably the first.

821. mvp-comment-450-1 τήνδε τ᾽ And this one ere long. The correction of γ᾽ to τ᾽ or δ᾽ seems to be necessary.

821. mvp-comment-450-2 οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου Sc. ἕξω.

823. mvp-comment-451-1 τὸν ἀσεβή Cp. 922, συλῶντα τὰ τῶν θεῶν βίᾳ | ἄγοντα φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια. He appeals to the known piety of the chorus.

825. mvp-comment-452-1 οὔθ᾽ ἃ πρόσθεν εἴργασαι In seizing Ismene.

826. mvp-comment-453-1 ὑμῖν, κ.τ.λ. Said to Creon's attendants; supr. 723.

826. mvp-comment-453-2 ἂν εἴη For a similar use of av with the optative, cp. Τr. 728, σιγᾶν ἂν ἁρμόζοι σε τὸν πλείω λόγον, Εl. 1372.

827. mvp-comment-454-1 εἰ.. πορεύσεται For the v. r. cp. πημαίνεις below, in v. rr. on l. 837.

830. mvp-comment-455-1 Creon, as next of kin, is guardian of the children of the outlawed Oedipus. Cp. O. T. 1448, καὶ γὰρ ὀρθῶς τῶν γε σῶν τελεῖς ὕπερ: Aesch. Suppl. 387-389, εἴ τοι κρατοῦσι παῖδες Αἰγύπτου σέθεν | νόμῳ πόλεως, φάσκοντες ἐγγύτατα γένους | εἶναι, τίς ἂν τοῖσδ᾽ ἀντιωθῆναι θέλοι;

832. mvp-comment-456-1 τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἄγω For the plural and masc., see Essay on Language § 20. pp. 30, 31. 835-836. The excitement, indicated by the broken lines, culminates in the dochmiac rhythm, to which the diiambus, ἰὼ πόλις, is introductory. 876-885, following the second attempt of Creon, are antistrophic to 833-843, agreeing very closely (except εἴργου – – in 836 = δοκῶ u - 879) even to the division of the words. This lyrical repetition, with the balanced rhythm of the intervening dialogue (containing one short outburst of Creon, 841-855, and one of Oedipus, 864-870), may be compared with O. T. 649-659, 678-688.

832. mvp-comment-456-2 εἴργου • Keep off!' 837. The Scholiast, who, according to the reading of L, rightly explains πόλει by ταῖς Θήβαις, evidently assigned this speech to Creon.

838. mvp-comment-457-1 Creon, while defying the chorus, refrains at present from taking part in the actual violence, which he leaves to his attendants. It is to one of these that the words of the chorus are addressed.

838. mvp-comment-457-2 οὐκ ἠγόρευον ταῦτ᾽ ἐγώ! Oedipus rather alludes to his prophecy in 605 ff., that war would come between Athens and Thebes, than to his warning in 653, which is already fulfilled. Creon's present threat (πόλει μαχεῖ γάρ) comes near to Oedipus' prediction.

840. mvp-comment-458-1 The chorus and Creon are giving opposite commands to the attendant.

840. mvp-comment-458-2 χαλᾶν Το leave hold.' 841. The change to ἔντοποι (cp. Phil. 211), is necessitated by the dochmiac metre.

842. mvp-comment-459-1 πόλις ἐναίρεται My city suffers violence. The chorus in their indignation, as Theseus afterwards in his scorn (903, ξένῳ .. τῷδε χειρωθεὶς βίᾳ) represent the attempt of Creon as an assault on the liberties of their city.

842. mvp-comment-459-2 σθένει By main force. Cp. infra 1089, σθένει ᾿πινικείῳ τὸν εὔαγρον τελειῶσαι λόχον. The expression here is more nearly equivalent to κατὰ κράτος than to Bíᾳ. Cp. Eur. Bacch. 953, οὐ σθένει νικητέον | γυναῖκας. The adverbial dative following the parenthesis is rather weak. Qy. πόλις ἐμὰ στένει? Cp. Aesch. S. c. T. 247, στένει πόλισμα.

844. mvp-comment-460-1 ὦ ξένοι ξένοι The last appeal of Antigone to the chorus is so worded as to recall her former supplication, ὦ ξένοι αἰδόφρονες, l. 237 .

848. mvp-comment-461-1 ἐκ τούτοιν .. σκήπτροιν With these to lean upon.' ἐκ = by means of, with the help of. Cp. Phil. 91, οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἑνὸς ποδὸς | ἡμᾶς τοσούσδε πρὸς βίαν χειρώσεται.

851. mvp-comment-462-1 καὶ τύραννος ὢν ὅμως Although I am a prince. For τύραννos = one of royal blood, cp. Eur. Med. 957, τῇ τυράννῳ νύμφῃ. Creon is moreover regent of Thebes; O. Τ. 1418.

852. mvp-comment-463-1 τάδε = τὸ παρὸν πρᾶγμα.

856. mvp-comment-464-1 ἐπίσχες αὐτοῦ, ξεῖνε Creon, after launching the above speech at Oedipus, turns to follow Antigone and the attendants who are dragging her off. The chorus interfere to prevent him.

857. mvp-comment-465-1 τῶνδε The maidens, of whom Ismene, though in the background, is not far off.

858-859. mvp-comment-466-1 αὑτόν These lines may be differently explained according as πόλει is taken to refer to Thebes or to Athens. Either reference is possibl possible, but πόλει in Creon's previous speech, supr. 837, is clearly Thebes. ῥύσιον is that which is held by one party, and claimed or seized by another, who is said ῥυσίων ἐφάπτεσθαι (Aesch. Suppl. 412, καὶ μήτε δῆρις ῥυσίων ἐφάψεται, ib. 314, Ἔπαφος ἀληθῶς ῥυσίων ἐπώνυμος). (1) Then assuredly you will quickly pay moreover a heavier forfeit to my state, for I will seize not the maidens only. For this meaning of τίθημι see L. and S. s. v. A. II, 8. Or (2), 'Then assuredly you will cause your city to have a still greater prey to redeem. For πόλει in (2), cp. Eur. Suppl. 120, ἦλθον ἐξαιτῶν πόλιν, (Adrastus speaks of Thebes, which is not his city).

861. mvp-comment-467-1 δεινὸν λέγεις That is indeed a threat! Cp. supra 661, κεἰ δείν᾽ ἐπερρώσθη λέγειν. Know that this shall certainly be done forthwith (νῦν). For the ellipse with ὡς, cp. Αj. 39, ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι. The reduplicated future has not here the force of a future-perfect, but is simply emphatic.

863. mvp-comment-468-1 ή σὺ γάρ How? do you mean to say that you...

864. mvp-comment-469-1 μὴ γάρ γάρ gives the reason of an implied negative, repelling Creon's injunction of silence. Nay, but I will not. For I would not have these goddesses close my lips to this one curse.' 865. ἔτι adds emphasis to τῆσδε τῆς ἀρᾶς: i. e. Though they enjoin silence from cursing, let them not enforce it here.

866. mvp-comment-470-1 ὅς μ' The omission of the antecedent rather adds to the passionate force of the expression. Cp. supra 263, κάμοιγε ποῦ ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, οἵτινες, κ.τ.λ., and see Essay on Language § 22. p. 35. and § 39, p. 72.

866-867. mvp-comment-471-1 ψιλὸν ὄμμ' βίᾳ Who hast added to the former loss of my eyes by violently tearing away the poor defenceless means of sight that were still left to me.The ψιλὸν ὄμμα are his daughters, Antigone (τῆς ὑπέρ τ᾿ ἐμοῦ αὐτῆς θ' ὁρώσης, supra 33. 4) and Ismene, who brought him intelligence of things in Thebes. For the expression, cp. Shak., King Lear, 4. 6, Lear. Read. Gloster. What, with the case of eyes?' βίᾳ is to be joined with the phrase ἀποσπάσας.

868. mvp-comment-472-1 σὲ καὐτόν, κ.τλ. Cp. Phil. 620, τὸ σπεύδειν δέ σοι | καὐτῷ παραινῶ κεἴ τινος κήδει πέρι. The change to σε τ' αὐτόν is unnecessary here. The case is different in 1417, where σε τ' αὐτόν is a tmesis for σαυτόν τε.

870. mvp-comment-473-1 οἷον κἀμέ ἐμέ is accusative by attraction το σέ.

874. mvp-comment-474-1 ἄξω βίᾳ Cf. infra 922, βίᾳ ἄγοντα φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια.

875. mvp-comment-475-1 Creon, provoked by the curse of Oedipus, is about to carry out his threat (860), although, since the attendants are gone with the maidens, he has no one to help him. As to the reading, γηρῶν . . βαρύς; either γηρῶν has originated in a gloss on χρόνῳ βραδύς, and βαρύς, as elsewhere, from a misreading of βραδύς, or there was an early various reading, γήρᾳ βαρύς, for which, cp. O. T. 17. On the order of the words, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 78 8.

879. mvp-comment-476-1 τάνδ'. πόλιν Then I will no longer account this a city. The Scholiast, who explains by νομιῶ, seems to have read the future, which is therefore substituted for νέμω. Cp. El. 150, σὲ δ᾽ ἔγωγε νέμω θεόν.

880. mvp-comment-477-1 τοῖς τοι δικαίοις (1) In a just cause. Essay on Language § 11. p. 18. Or perhaps (2) the dat. is instrumental;- With weapons of justice. χώ βραχὺς νικᾷ μέγαν] Even slight men overcome the mighty. 882. Ζεὺς *γ᾿ ἂν εἰδείη, σὺ δ᾽ οὔ] There is a lacuna of an iambic penthemimer, or, if the correction Ζεὺς ταῦτ᾽ ἂν εἰδείη is right, of an iambic metre. The sense required is, ΧΟ. τά γ'᾽ οὐ τελεῖ.

880. mvp-comment-477-2 Ζεύς μοι ξυνίστωρ. ΚΡ. Ζεύς γ᾽ ἂν εἰδείη, σὺ δ' οὔ.

884. mvp-comment-478-1 ἰὼ γᾶς πρόμοι This is the summons to which Theseus, the chief of the land,' responds.

885. mvp-comment-479-1 ἐπεὶ πέραν | περῶσ' *οἵδε δή Elmsley's emendation has been generally adopted, and has the advantage of closely resembling 843, προβάθ᾽ ὧδέ μοι. But the correction is uncertain. (1) Since they are passing all bounds.' Cp. supra 155. Hermann's rule, that πέραν can never be used metaphorically, appears arbitrary, and when they have just left the stage it is too soon to say, (2) They are passing the frontier.' But possibly the words may mean, (3) They are passing out of reach.' Cp. infr. 902, ὡς μὴ παρέλθωσ' αἱ κόραι, and the hyperbolical expression in 842, πόλις ἐναίρεται.

887. mvp-comment-480-1 Theseus, perhaps moved by the strange advent of Oedipus. is sacrificing at the neighbouring altar of Poseidon, the chief guardian deity of Colonus. This act, which is natural in itself, is convenient, as the Scholiast remarks, for assigning a sufficient reason why Theseus, whose presence will be again necessary, should, when off the stage, be still within call. The sacrifice also occasions a gathering of people, who are ready to start in pursuit of Creon and frustrate his attempt. The trochaics are expressive of the haste with which Theseus comes-θάσσον ἢ καθ᾽ ἡδονὴν ποδός (890). They are conventionally associated with the sudden arrival on the stage or departure from it of important persons. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 155 ff.

888. mvp-comment-481-1 ἔσχετε Stayed ye my hand. Cp. 429, οὐκ ἔσχον οὐδ᾽ ἤμυναν.

891. mvp-comment-482-1 Dear friend (I know thy voice addressing us).' Cp. O. T. 1322-1326, ἰώ, φίλος .. οὐ γάρ με λήθεις, ἀλλὰ γιγνώσκω σαφῶς | καίπερ σκοτεινός, τήν γε σὴν αὐδὴν ὅμως. .. 894-895. Has torn away from me the two children that were my all. οἴχεται ἀποσπάσας, cp. supra 866, El. 809, 10, ἀποσπάσας γὰρ τῆς ἐμῆς οἴχει φρενός, κ.τ.λ. The use of μόνην is pathetic. Cp. ψιλὸν ὄμμα, supra 866.

897. mvp-comment-483-1 The readiness of Theseus in comprehending the situation, and his promptitude, are traits which assist the action while they excite the admiration of the spectators. Cp. supra 569, 631.

898. mvp-comment-484-1 τούσδε βωμούς This neighbouring altar.

899. mvp-comment-485-1 ἄνιππον ἱππότην τε Cp. Ant. 1104, οἱ τ' ὄντες οἱ τ᾽ ἀπόντες. If, as suggested by the writer of the 1st ὑπόθεσις (see Introd. p. 259), Colonus was a place where horses stood for hire, the presence of horsemen at the sacrifice is easily accounted for.

900. mvp-comment-486-1 σπεύδειν ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος The testimony of the grammarians (Phryn. ap. Bekker. p. 24, ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος τρέχειν ἵππον : οἷον ἀπὸ χαλίνου ἢ ἄνευ χαλίνου : Pollux l. 214, καὶ ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος ἀνεῖναι τὸν ἵππον), and the passages in Diodorus Sic. (19. 26), and Dion. Hal. (11. 40), leave no doubt that ῥυτήρ in this expression is not a trace but a rein, and that the use of ἀπό is emphatic. τρέχειν ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος, of a horse, would then mean, to gallop away from (i. e. without check from, without the effect of) the rein,' and in σπεύδειν ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος the notion is transferred from the horse to the rider = to ride at full gallop. The phrase is immediately connected with ἱππότην, but the notion of full speed is extended to the whole sentence. It is singular that the ancient Scholiasts should have lost the key to this expression as they seem to have done. If ῥυτήρ were a trace' as elsewhere (Il. 16.475 etc.), the meaning would be ⚫ without putting to,' i. e. riding, not driving.

900-901. mvp-comment-487-1 ἔνθα .. ὁδοί ‘Το just where the two hollow ways of travellers meet.' μάλιστα belongs in meaning to the antecedent clause, like the superlative in ἐπεὶ τάχιστα. δίστομοι suggests the appearance of the roads in a hill-country, each opening out of a narrow gorge of its own. Cp. Hom. h. Dem. 177, κοίλην κατ' ἀμαξιτόν.

900-901. mvp-comment-487-2 συμβάλλουσιν As rivers are said συμβάλλειν ῥοάς, or as persons are said συμβλῆσθαι ἀλλήλοιν, Hom. Il. 14. 27, etc. For the absolute use (on which see Essay on Language § 53. p. 98, c), cp. Eur. Or. 335, δάκρυα δάκρυσι συμβάλλει: Plat. Pol. 273 Α. ὁ δὲ μεταστρεφόμενος καὶ ξυμβάλλων. The two roads appear from 1047 to be those from Daphne and Phyle.

902. mvp-comment-488-1 The reason for so much haste is to prevent uncertainty as to the route taken by the enemy.

902-903. mvp-comment-489-1 γέλως δ᾽ ἐγὼ .. βίᾳ ·And I be vanquished and become a laughingstock to this foreigner; i. e. to Creon. The dative, though governed chiefly by γέλως . γένωμαι, also depends slightly ση χειρωθεὶς βίᾳ: cp. Plut. Dion. p. 199. Theseus angrily speaks of the success of Creon's exploit as a conquest over himself (supra 842, note). Cp. Ant. 485, εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀνατεὶ τῇδε κείσεται κράτη: ib. 525, ἐμοῦ δὲ ζῶντος οὐκ ἄρξει γυνή. 905 ff. Cp. Eur Suppl. 581 ff. (the whole speech reads like an echo of this), οὔτοι μ' ἐπαίρεις ὥστε θυμῶσαι φρένας | τοῖς σοῖσι κόμποις· ἀλλ᾽ ἀποστέλλου χθονός, | λόγους ματαίους οὔσπερ ἠνέγκω λαβών.

907. mvp-comment-490-1 * οὔσπερ .. ἔχων The MS. reading ὥσπερ κ.τ.λ has been explained, As he himself came hither under the protection of the laws, so he shall be corrected by the laws, (and not by violence). This makes a strong antithesis to 11. 904-906. But αὐτός is without point, and the reference to the laws without further qualification is un-Greek. Cp. Eur. Heracl. 1010, τοῖσιν Ἑλλήνων νόμοις. Either the correction οὔσπερ must be adopted, as in the text, or there is a slight inexactness of correspondence between the clauses. ('Etenim non τούτοισιν referendum est ad ὥσπερ, sed intelligendum οὕτω,' Herm. 1841. Rectius Reisigius, τούτοισι κοὐκ ἄλλοισι idem esse quod τοῖς αὐτοῖσι, quod minus infrequens est cum ὥσπερ compositum. Ellendt.). In any case the meaning is: (instead of being roughly handled) he shall be reduced to order according to those very rules of conduct which he brought with him in coming hither. i. e. As he has taken by compulsion so by compulsion he shall be checked in return.' Cp. infr. 916, supr. 832. For the meaning ning of vouos, see Essay on Language p. 88. And for the combination of the article and relative pronoun, cp. Ant. 404, ὃν σὺ τὸν νέκρον | ἀπεῖπας : Aesch. S. c. Τ. 553, τῷδ', ὃν λέγεις τὸν Ἀρκάδα.

907. mvp-comment-490-2 τούς has the force of a possessive pronoun: those principles of his.'

908. mvp-comment-491-1 κοὐκ ἄλλοισιν And these alone. ἄλλοισιν follows the construction of τούτοισι, without νόμοις or any other substantive being consciously supplied.

910. mvp-comment-492-1 Until you bring those maidens hither and set them before my face.' ἐναργεῖς] · Without possibility of mis- take.' Tr. 223, τάδε σοι βλέπειν πάρεστ᾽ ἐναργῆ : Ε1. 878, ἐναργῶς, ὥσπερ εἰσορᾶς ἐμέ.

911. mvp-comment-493-1 ἐπεὶ δέδρακας οὔτ᾽ ἐμοῦ καταξίως Since what thou hast done is unworthy alike of me and thine own lineage, and thy land.' The conjecture οὔτε σοῦ takes away the point from αὐτός in l. 912. Cp. infra 914, 915, 926.

912. mvp-comment-494-1 οὔθ᾽ ὧν πέφυκας αὐτός The royal house of Thebes. Cp. O. T. 1235, θεῖον Ἰοκάστης κάρα.

912. mvp-comment-494-2 Γκουσαν 913 δίκαι᾿ ἀσκοῦσαν] Cp. Hdt. 1.96, 1.90, (of Deioces), δικαιοσύνην ἐπιθέμενος ἤσκεε,

914. mvp-comment-495-1 κραίνουσαν Used here in the Homeric sense of accomplishing, perfecting, and so = determining.

914. mvp-comment-495-2 15. ἀφεὶς .. κύρια Casting off the authorities of this land. Cp. infra 1537, τὰ θεῖ ἀφείς.

916. mvp-comment-496-1 ἄγεις παρίστασαι βίᾳ Carry off and forcibly make subject to you what you will. Cp. Hdt. 3. 45, εἴπερ αὐτοὶ ἱκανοὶ ἦσαν Πολυκράτεα παραστήσασθαι. ἄγειν as in λείαν ἄγειν-originally of cattle.

917. mvp-comment-497-1 κένανδρον Spiritless. Aesch. Pers. 118, 121, uses κένανδρος and γυναικοπληθής of the city whose fighting men are slain. Cp. infra 939, ἄνανδρον, in the reply of Creon.

920. mvp-comment-498-1 It is not her wont to rear unrighteous men.

922. mvp-comment-499-1 3. βίᾳ | ἄγοντα Added in explanation of the preceding clause.

923. mvp-comment-500-1 φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια Poor suppliant mortals. The periphrasis (for which see Essay on Language § 10. p. 17) adds pathetic emphasis to both parts of the expression.

924. mvp-comment-501-1 οὔκουν And I would not. οὖν marks the accordance of what Theseus lays down as the rule of his own conduct with the claim he makes on Thebes. Cp. γοῦν.

927. mvp-comment-502-1 οὔθ᾽ εἰλκον .. ἦγον Would neither have dragged away nor carried off. εἶλκον expresses a greater degree of violence.

929. mvp-comment-503-1 ἀξίαν οὐκ οὖσαν, sc. αἰσχύνεσθαι. For τὴν αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ, cp. infr. 1356.

930-931. mvp-comment-504-1 καί σ'.. κενόν And length of years gives folly to be the companion of thine age. Lit. In making thee old makes thee at the same time void of wisdom. Cp. Ant. 281, μὴ 'φευρεθῇς ἄνους τε καὶ γέρων ἅμα.

933. mvp-comment-505-1 τὰς παῖδας .. τινά That the maidens be brought hither. The impersonal form of expression is here more dignified than if σε were repeated.

934. mvp-comment-506-1 μέτοικος The Schol. observes that this word is used in the general sense of ἔνοικος, and not in its ordinary special meaning. See Essay on Language § 52. P. 97. § 54. p. 99.

936. mvp-comment-507-1 These words come from my mind as truly as from my tongue.'

937-938. mvp-comment-508-1 ὡς .. δίκαιος Since judging by the city from which you spring, you are shown to be just, and are then found to be doing evil. The chorus point the moral of Theseus' speech. Cp. supr. 919, καίτοι σε Θηβαί γ᾽ οὐκ ἐπαίδευσαν κακόν, 912 ff.

939. mvp-comment-509-1 ἄνανδρον Without manhood, referring to κένανδρον, supr. 927. Some have tried to preserve the reading of L (λέγω) by joining ἄβουλον (940) with ἔργον (941), but the epithet does not agree with the tenor of Theseus' speech. Cp. Eur. Suppl. 314-323.

940. mvp-comment-510-1 οὔτ᾽ ἄβουλον Nor without counsel; referring to 913-914, δίκαι' ἀσκοῦσαν εἰσελθὼν πόλιν, κἄνευ νόμου κραίνουσαν οὐδέν.

941. mvp-comment-511-1 γιγνώσκων δ' ὅτι But judging that.

942-943. mvp-comment-512-1 οὐδεὶς.. βίᾳ They would never be seized with an officious desire of maintaining my relations against my will. αὐτούς, sc. τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, implied in τήνδε τὴν πόλιν supr. For the accusative αὐτούς, see Essay on Language § 16. p. 23, and cp. Ο. Τ. 713, ὡς αὐτὸν ἥξοι μοῖρα πρὸς παιδὸς θανεῖν.

944. mvp-comment-513-1 ἤδη δ' And I was sure. Cp. the use of ἐπίσταμαι in Herodotus.

945. mvp-comment-514-1 κἄναγνον κἄνανδρον in L. is clearly a misreading from l. 939. Ср. Ο. Τ. 894, ἔρξεται.

945. mvp-comment-514-2 6. Nor one who was discovered to be living in incest with his own parent.' Lit. With whom were found unholy marriages of children with parents. τέκνων is not genitive of the object, but attributive genitive (Essay on Language § 9. p. 12), sufficiently defining the ἀνόσιοι γάμοι, although τέκνων πρὸς γονέας might be a more complete expression.

947. mvp-comment-515-1 Such a seat of good counsel did I know them to possess, the hill of Ares in this land. εὔβουλον opposed to ἄβουλον supra 940. For the argumentative use of τοιοῦτον, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 35.

950. mvp-comment-516-1 To it I trusted when I seized this prey.' Creon, as the next of kin, claims the right of dealing summarily with the homicide.

954. mvp-comment-517-1 The Schol. here quotes the proverb, ὁ θυμὸς ἔσχατον γηράσκει, as being referred to by Alcaeus. Cp. Thuc. 2.44.6, τὸ γὰρ φιλότιμον ἀγήρων μόνον. For anger yields not to age, until death comes. No pain indeed can touch the dead.' Aesch. Fr. 250, ἄλγος δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἅπτεται νεκροῦ. After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well; Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing, Can touch him further.' Shak. Macb. 3. 2.

957. mvp-comment-518-1 ἐρημία Cp. 875. This, as Theseus presently suspects (1029-1031), is a false pretence.

957. mvp-comment-518-2 κεί δίκαι᾿ ὅμως λέγω i. e. ὅμως κεὶ δίκαια λέγω.

958. mvp-comment-519-1 σμικρόν Cp. βραχύς, supra 880.

958. mvp-comment-519-2 πρὸς δὲ τὰς πράξεις But still I will endeavour to resist violence, if it is offered, old as I am. πράξεις here is not a mere repetition of the notion of the verb πράξεις supra 956, but is spoken with some emphasis, in allusion to Theseus' threats of compulsion, supr. 908, 935.

960-961. mvp-comment-520-1 Oedipus means that Creon's language reflects disgrace upon himself as the brother of Jocasta, and as having made an outcast of his kinsman. Cp. supr. 770, 800, 1, πότερα νομίζεις .. ἐν τῷ νῦν λόγῳ; 753-754, ἆρ᾽ ἄθλιον τοὔνειδος.. ὠνείδισ᾽ εἰς σὲ κἀμέ; infr. 978 ff. And for λῆμα, Pind. Pyth. 3. 25, λῆμα Κορωνίδος.

962. mvp-comment-521-1 ὅστις φόνους μοι Who hast allowed to pass thy lips against me the mention of that murder and that disastrous marriage which I unfortunate endured unwittingly. The general word συμφοράς (here, as in O. T. 99, equivalent to ἄγος) sums up the preceding notions, and adds to them. Cp. O. Τ. 1407-1408, χὠπόσα | αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ἔργα γίγνεται.

965. mvp-comment-522-1 Who would seem to have had some old cause of wrath against our race.' Cp. Plat. Phaedr. 244 D. πόνων τῶν μεγίστων, ἃ δὴ παλαιῶν ἐκ μηνιμάτων ποθὲν ἔν τισι τῶν γενῶν ἦν.

966. mvp-comment-523-1 The comparative innocence of VOL. I. Oedipus in his voluntary actions is a chief point in the tragic interest of the Oedipus Tyrannus, and is still more strongly asserted in this play.

966. mvp-comment-523-2 ἐμοί Sc. προσόν.

967. mvp-comment-524-1 ἀνθ᾿ ὅτου In retribution for which; involuntary crimes being regarded as a punishment for some previous crime.

970. mvp-comment-525-1 χρησμοῖσιν .. παίδων Poetical (generalizing) plural. Cp. O. Τ. 711-713.

970. mvp-comment-525-2 ὥστε 'That he should die by his son's hand;' i. e. an oracle, whose fulfilment lay in his being slain by his son. Cp. 1350, δικαιῶν ὥστ᾽ ἐμοῦ κλύειν λόyous, and see note on O. T. 713. 972-973. Who was not yet begotten or conceived, but at that time had not come into being.'

974-976. mvp-comment-526-1 And if, coming into the world as I came, marked by misfortune, I fought with and slew my father, all ignorant of what I was doing and to whom, how then can you in fairness blame me for what I did, seeing it was Bb unwitting?' ὡς ἐγὼ ᾿φάνην refers to the conditions of the oracle given to Laius. Cp. O. Τ. 1376, ὅπως ἔβλαστε.

977. mvp-comment-527-1 * δάν, ( = δὴ ἄν, cp. El. 314), is a correction of y' av, in which the reduplication of the particles makes γε doubtful. For a similar error in the MSS. cp. supr. 51, ἄτιμός γ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ.

977. mvp-comment-527-2 ἶκον = ἀκούσιον. Essay on Language p. 94, cp. supra 239, ἔργων ἀκόντων.

980-981. mvp-comment-528-1 Being such as I will presently tell of: for no, I will not keep silence, when you have gone to such a height of impiety. οὖν represents Oedipus' speaking as the natural consequence of Creon's.

980-981. mvp-comment-528-2 εἰς τόδε.. ἀνόσιον στόμα (1) Το this height of impiety in speaking.' Cp. supra 132, τὸ τᾶς εὐφήμου στόμα φροντίδος ἱέντες. This is better than (2) taking ἀνόσιον στόμα separately, as an accusative of limitation. To such a height in thine impious speech.

982. mvp-comment-529-1 ἔτικτε.. οὐκ εἰδυῖα She was, she was my mother, though we knew it not; i. e. ἦν μητὴρ οὐκ εἰδότος οὐκ εἰδυῖα.

986. mvp-comment-530-1 Brunck's διστομεῖν was suggested not by levity, as Elmsley thought, but by the correction of Par. A.

987. mvp-comment-531-1 ἄκων is used in two senses: (1) unwittingly, δι' ἄγνοιαν, (2) against my will, βίᾳ.

988. mvp-comment-532-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ But (your charge is groundless), for, etc. So in Tr. 552, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὀργαίνειν καλὸν | γυναῖκα νοῦν ἔχουσαν: Εl. 595.

988. mvp-comment-532-2 ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲ νουθετεῖν ἔξεστί σε. Essay on Language § 25. p. 43.

988. mvp-comment-532-3 ἀκούσομαι I shall be reputed.

993. mvp-comment-533-1 κτείνοι Were to attempt to kill.

994. mvp-comment-534-1 ὁ καίνων He who was trying to kill you. Cp. Hdt. 3. 99, οἱ μάλιστά οἱ ὁμιλέοντες κτείνουσι.. ὁ δὲ ἄπαρνός ἐστι, κ.τ.λ. Eur. Phoen. 1600, (ΟΙΔ.) ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἐγενόμην, εὐθὺς ὁ σπείρας πατὴρ | κτείνει με, κ.τ.λ. Essay on Language § 32. p. 55.

995-996. mvp-comment-535-1 Methinks, as you love life, you would punish the aggressor, and not scrutinize too closely the justice of the case.

997. mvp-comment-536-1 εἰσέβην I came into. Cp. Aesch. Suppl. 470, ἄτης δ' ἄβυσσον πέλαγος οὐ μάλ' εὔπορον | τόδ' ἐσβέβηκα.

998. mvp-comment-537-1 And I do not think that my father's spirit, were he alive, would gainsay my words.' The antecedent to ois is the argument from 989-996.

1000. mvp-comment-538-1 εἰ γὰρ οὐ δίκαιος You, however, for you only profess to be just, and think any word decorous, whether fit to be spoken or not, you pour these reproaches upon me in the presence of these men. Cp. supra 992, σὲ τὸν δίκαιον, and Creon's reasons 941-952.

1000. mvp-comment-538-2 τοῦθ' τοῦδ᾽ LBVat.

1003-1004. mvp-comment-539-1 And it suits your purpose well to flatter the name of Theseus, and Athens and her noble institutions. 1003. τὸ Θησέως ὄνομα θωπεῦσαι] Viz. in the courteous address, ὦ τέκνον Αἰγέως, supra 940.

1003-1004. mvp-comment-539-2 καλόν So in Phil. 1155, νῦν καλὸν..

1003-1004. mvp-comment-539-3 κορέσαι στόμα.

1004. mvp-comment-540-1 καὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας, κ.τ.λ. Supra 733-734, 758-759, 943-953. κατώκηνται καλῶς] Cp. Plat. Legg. 683 Α, τὴν εἰς Λακεδαίμονα κατοίκισιν..

1004. mvp-comment-540-2 ἣν ὑμεῖς ὀρθῶς ἔφατε κατοικεῖσθαι καὶ Κρήτην ὡς ἀδελφοῖς νόμοις. 1005. And then amidst all your praises (join ὧδε πολλά), you forget this praise.' 1007. The correction of Par. F (2886), ῶν θεοὺς, suggests *θεῶν.. τιμάς.

1004. mvp-comment-540-3 τοῦθ' This land is foremost in that virtue. For the genitive in the reading of L, cp. El. 1095-1097, ἃ δὲ μέγιστ᾽ ἔβλαστε νόμιμα | τῶνδε φερομέναν ἄριστα. But the reading of A is in this case clearer and more harmonious. Bb2

1008. mvp-comment-541-1 τὸν ἱκέτην γέροντ᾽ ἐμέ Cp. O. T. 1153, Phil. 930.

1009. mvp-comment-542-1 Wert seizing me. and hast carried away my children. For the imperfect, cp. supr. 950. ἐχειροῦ is read in Par. F.

1012. mvp-comment-543-1 θ' is added from a corrector of Par. F.

Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 960

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus
(JHended at my race for former crimes ;

Current edition Experimental

Χορός

CH

Der Chor.

Chorus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus (JHended at my race for former crimes ;

Current edition Experimental

Χορός

CH

Der Chor.

Chorus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus
(JHended at my race for former crimes ;