Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1249-1446

ed. Francis Storr

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Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Οἰδίπους ἐπὶ Κολωνῷ (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 1. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1249 focus
καὶ μὴν ὅδʼ ἡμῖν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὁ ξένος,
—ἀνδρῶν γε μοῦνος, ὦ πάτερ, - διʼ ὄμματος
1250
ἀστακτὶ λείβων δάκρυον ὧδʼ ὁδοιπορεῖ.
ἀλλʼ ἐξερῶ· καλῶς γὰρ ἐξηγεῖ σύ μοι·
πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν ποιούμενος
1285
ἀρωγόν, ἔνθεν μʼ ὧδʼ ἀνέστησεν μολεῖν
ὁ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς κοίρανος, διδοὺς ἐμοὶ
λέξαι τʼ ἀκοῦσαί τʼ ἀσφαλεῖ σὺν ἐξόδῳ.
καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀφʼ ὑμῶν, ὦ ξένοι, βουλήσομαι
καὶ ταῖνδʼ ἀδελφαῖν καὶ πατρὸς κυρεῖν ἐμοί.
1290
ἃ δʼ ἦλθον ἤδη σοι θέλω λέξαι, πάτερ.
γῆς ἐκ πατρῴας ἐξελήλαμαι φυγάς,
τοῖς σοῖς πανάρχοις οὕνεκʼ ἐνθακεῖν θρόνοις
γονῇ πεφυκὼς ἠξίουν γεραιτέρᾳ.
ἀνθʼ ὧν μʼ Ἐτεοκλῆς, ὢν φύσει νεώτερος,
1295
γῆς ἐξέωσεν, οὔτε νικήσας λόγῳ
οὔτʼ εἰς ἔλεγχον χειρὸς οὔτʼ ἔργου μολών,
πόλιν δὲ πείσας. ὧν ἐγὼ μάλιστα μὲν
τὴν σὴν Ἐρινὺν αἰτίαν εἶναι λέγω·
ἔπειτα κἀπὸ μάντεων ταύτῃ κλύω.
1300
ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθον Ἄργος ἐς τὸ Δωρικόν,
λαβὼν Ἄδραστον πενθερὸν ξυνωμότας
ἔστησʼ ἐμαυτῷ γῆς ὅσοιπερ Ἀπίας
πρῶτοι καλοῦνται καὶ τετίμηνται δόρει,
ὅπως τὸν ἑπτάλογχον ἐς Θήβας στόλον
1305
ξὺν τοῖσδʼ ἀγείρας ἢ θάνοιμι πανδίκως,
ἢ τοὺς τάδʼ ἐκπράξαντας ἐκβάλοιμι γῆς.
εἶεν· τί δῆτα νῦν ἀφιγμένος κυρῶ;
σοὶ προστροπαίους, ὦ πάτερ, λιτὰς ἔχων,
αὐτός *τʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ξυμμάχων τε τῶν ἐμῶν,
1310
οἳ νῦν σὺν ἑπτὰ τάξεσιν σὺν ἑπτά τε
λόγχαις τὸ Θήβης πεδίον ἀμφεστᾶσι πᾶν·
οἷος δορυσσοῦς Ἀμφιάρεως, τὰ πρῶτα μὲν
δόρει κρατύνων, πρῶτα δʼ οἰωνῶν ὁδοῖς·
ὁ δεύτερος δʼ Αἰτωλὸς Οἰνέως τόκος
1315
Τυδεύς· τρίτος δʼ Ἐτέοκλος, Ἀργεῖος γεγώς·
τέταρτον Ἱππομέδοντʼ ἀπέστειλεν πατὴρ
Ταλαός· ὁ πέμπτος δʼ εὔχεται κατασκαφῇ
Καπανεὺς τὸ Θήβης ἄστυ δῃώσειν πυρί·
ἕκτος δὲ Παρθενοπαῖος Ἀρκὰς ὄρνυται,
1320
ἐπώνυμος τῆς πρόσθεν ἀδμήτης χρόνῳ
μητρὸς λοχευθείς, πιστὸς Ἀταλάντης γόνος·
ἐγὼ δέ, σός, κεἰ μὴ σός, ἀλλὰ τοῦ κακοῦ
πότμου φυτευθείς, σός γέ τοι καλούμενος,
ἄγω τὸν Ἄργους ἄφοβον ἐς Θήβας στρατόν.
1325
οἵ σʼ ἀντὶ παίδων τῶνδε καὶ ψυχῆς, πάτερ,
ἱκετεύομεν ξύμπαντες ἐξαιτούμενοι
μῆνιν βαρεῖαν εἰκαθεῖν ὁρμωμένῳ
τῷδʼ ἀνδρὶ τοὐμοῦ πρὸς κασιγνήτου τίσιν,
ὅς μʼ ἐξέωσε κἀπεσύλησεν πάτρας.
1330
εἰ γάρ τι πιστόν ἐστιν ἐκ χρηστηρίων,
οἷς ἂν σὺ προσθῇ, τοῖσδʼ ἔφασκʼ εἶναι κράτος.
πρός νύν σε κρηνῶν καὶ θεῶν ὁμογνίων
αἰτῶ πιθέσθαι καὶ παρεικαθεῖν, ἐπεὶ
πτωχοὶ μὲν ἡμεῖς καὶ ξένοι, ξένος δὲ σύ·
1335
ἄλλους δὲ θωπεύοντες οἰκοῦμεν σύ τε
κἀγώ, τὸν αὐτὸν δαίμονʼ ἐξειληφότες.
ὁ δʼ ἐν δόμοις τύραννος, ὦ τάλας ἐγώ,
κοινῇ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἐγγελῶν ἁβρύνεται·
ὅν, εἰ σὺ τἠμῇ ξυμπαραστήσει φρενί,
1340
βραχεῖ σὺν ὄγκῳ καὶ χρόνῳ διασκεδῶ.
ὥστʼ ἐν δόμοισι τοῖσι σοῖς στήσω σʼ ἄγων,
στήσω δʼ ἐμαυτόν, κεῖνον ἐκβαλὼν βίᾳ.
καὶ ταῦτα σοῦ μὲν ξυνθέλοντος ἔστι μοι
κομπεῖν, ἄνευ σοῦ δʼ οὐδὲ σωθῆναι σθένω.
1345
τὸν ἄνδρα, τοῦ πέμψαντος οὕνεκʼ, *Οἰδίπους,
εἰπὼν ὁποῖα ξύμφορʼ ἔκπεμψαι πάλιν.
Πολύνεικες, οὔτε ταῖς παρελθούσαις ὁδοῖς
ξυνήδομαί σοι, νῦν τʼ ἴθʼ ὡς τάχος πάλιν.
οὕτως ἄρʼ, ὦ παῖ, ταῦτά σοι δεδογμένα;
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1249 focus
Ah! Who comes here? Sure ’tis the Argive man
Approaching hitherward, weeping amain.
1250
And, father, it is he!
I will tell my need:—
First claiming for protector the dread God
From whose high altar he who rules this land
1285
Hath brought me under safe-guard of his power,
Scatheless to speak and hear and go my way.
His word, I am well assured, will be made good,
Strangers, by you, and by my sisters twain,
And by our sire.—Now let me name mine errand.
1290
I am banished, father, from our native land,
Because, being elder-born, I claimed to sit
Upon thy sovereign throne. For this offence
Eteocles, thy younger son, exíled me,
Not having won the advantage in debate
1295
Or trial of manhood, but through guileful art
Gaining the people’s will. Whereof I deem
Thy Fury the chief author; and thereto
Prophetic voices also testify.
For when I had come to Dorian Argolis,
I raised, through marriage with Adrastus’ child,
1300
An army bound in friendly league with me,
Led by the men who in the Apian land
Hold first pre-eminence and honour in war,
With whose aid levying all that mighty host
Of seven battalions, I have deeply sworn
1305
Either to die, or drive from Theban ground
Those who such wrongs have wrought. So far, so well.
But why come hither? Father, to crave thine aid
With earnest supplication for myself
And for my firm allies, who at this hour,
Seven leaders of seven bands embattled there,
1310
Encompass Thebè’s plain. Amphiaráus,
Foremost in augury, foremost in war,
First wields his warlike spear. Next, Oeneus’ son,
Aetolian Tydeus; then Etéoclus
Of Argive lineage; fourth, Hippomedon,
1315
Sent by his father Tálaüs, and the fifth
Is Capancus, who brags he will destroy
Thebè with desolating fire. The sixth,
Parthonopaeus, from the Arcadian glen
Comes bravely down, swift Atalanta’s child,
1320
Named from his mother’s lingering maidenhood
Ere she conceived him. And the seventh am I,
Thy son, or if not thine, but the dire birth
Of evil Destiny, yet named thy son,
Who lead this dauntless host from Argolis
Against the Theban land. Now one and all
1325
We pray thee on our knees, conjuring thee
As thou dost love these maids and thine own life,
My father, to forgive me, ere I go
To be revenged upon my brother there
Who drave me forth and robbed me of my throne.
1330
If aught in prophecy deserves belief,
’Tis certain, whom thou favourest, those shall win.
Now by the wells whereof our fathers drank
And by the Gods they worshipped, hear our prayer,
Grant this petition: since alike in woe,
Alike in poverty and banishment,
1335
Partakers of one destiny, thou and I
Cringe to the stranger for a dwelling place.
Whilst he at home, the tyrant, woe is me,
Laughs at us both in soft luxurious pride.
Whose might, so thou wilt favour my design,
1340
I will lightly scatter in one little hour;
And plant thee in thy Theban palace home
Near to myself, hurling the usurper forth.
All this with thy consent I shall achieve,
But without thee, I forfeit life and all.
1345
For his sake who hath brought him, Oedipus,
Say what is meet, and let him go in peace.
’Tis pity for thee, prince, to have come at all;
And now we bid thee go the way thou camest.
Art thou then so resolved, O brother mine?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1249 focus
Das ist gewiß der Fremde, wie mir, Vater, dünkt,
1240
Der dort allein und einsam hergeschritten kommt,
Und dem die Thräne strömend aus dem Auge stürzt.
Wer ist es?
Erblickten,
Jener, den wir längst im Geiste schon
Polyneikes ist zur Stelle hier.
Polyneikes. Die Vorigen.
So red' ich; denn ersprießlich sind' ich deinen Rath.
1275
Und erst erfleh' ich jenen Gott als Helfer mir,
Von dessen Altarschwelle mir des Landes Fürst
Entbot hieher zu kommen, und ein frei Gespräch
Und ungefährdet abzuzieh'n verstattete.
Und dieses, wünsch' ich, werde mir, o Fremdlinge,
1280
Von euch, vom Vater und den Schwestern hier gewährt.
Doch jezt, o Vater, sag' ich dir, weßhalb ich kam.
Ein Flüchtling irr' ich, aus der Väter Reich verbannt,
Weil mich verlangte, deinen allgebietenden
Thron einzunehmen; bin ich doch der ältre Sohn.
1285
Dafür verstieß mich aus dem Land Eteokles,
Der jüng're, siegend weder durch des Wortes Macht,
Noch durch des Armes Proben und der That Beweis;
Das Volk gewann er, Vater! Und ich sage dir:
Dein Nachegeist vor Allem trägt hieran die Schuld;
1290
Und eben dieses lehrte mich der Seher Wort.
Denn als ich Argos heimgesucht im Dorerland,
Und mir Adrastos Schwäher ward, verband ich mir
Mit hohem Eidschwur Alle, die in Apia 1
Die Besten heißen und im Kampf gepriesen sind,
1295
Daß ich, die siebenfache Schaar vor Kadmos' Burg
Mit ihnen sammelnd, fall' in ehrenvollem Kampf,
Wo nicht, vom Land austreibe, die mir das gethan.
Wohlan! Zu welchem Ende nun erschein' ich hier?
Dich, Vater, geht mein heißes demuthvolles Fleh'n
1300
Für mich zugleich und meine Streitgenossen an,
Die nun zu sieben mit dem siebenfachen Heer
Der Theber Stadt umlagern und die Gauen rings.
Da streitet Amphiaraos, im Gewühl der Schlacht
Und auf der Vögel Bahnen weit der erste Mann;
1305
Zum zweiten Deneus' Sprößling aus Aetolia,
Tydeus; sodann Eteokles, der aus Argos stammt;
Als vierten sandte Talaos Hippomedon,
Den Sohn; der fünfte, Kapaneus, schwört hoch, mit Glut
Die Theberstadt zu tilgen aus der Städte Zahl;
1310
Der sechste Parthenopäos aus Arkadia,
Sich also nennend nach der lang jungfräulichen
Mutter Atalanta, deren ächter Sohn er ist.
Und ich, der dein', und wenn der deine nicht, ein Kind
Des bösen Schicksals, aber doch dein Sohn genannt,
1315
Führ' Argos' unerschrocknes Heer vor Thebe's Stadt.
Bei deinem Leben, Vater, bei den Töchtern hier,
Beschwören wir dich alle denn und fleh'n dich an:
Laß ab vom schweren Zorne, nicht mehr grolle mir,
Der wider seinen Bruder sich zur Nach' erhob,
1320
Den Räuber, der mich aus dem Vaterreiche stieß.
Denn lügen Göttersprüche nicht, so wird der Sieg
Dem werden, heißt es, welchem du dich zugesellst.
Drum bei den Quellen, bei den Göttern unsres Stamms,
Gib nach, o Vater, fleh' ich, folge meinem Wort;
1325
Wir sind ja Bettler, Fremde hier, fremd auch du selbst,
Und Fremden schmeichelnd leben wir, ich so wie du,
Nachdem das gleiche Mißgeschick uns heimgesucht.
Und er, daheim der Herrscher, (ich Unseliger!)
Verlacht in stolzer Ueppigkeit uns beide hier;
1330
Doch ihn, wofern du meinem Sinn dich beigesellst,
Werd' ich zerstäuben mühelos in kurzer Frist:
Ich führe dich in deiner Ahnen Haus zurück
Und mich, vertrieb ich mit Gewalt den Frevler dort.
Und also darf ich prahlen, bist du meines Sinns;
1335
Doch ohne dich ist keine Rettung mir gegönnt.
Des Mannes wegen, Dedipus, der ihn gesandt,
Erwidre, was dir heilsam dünkt, und laß ihn zieh'n.
Wir können deines Ganges uns nicht freu'n mit dir,
Polyneikes; eilig wende dich nunmehr zurück!
So steht, o Jüngling, dein Entschluß unwandelbar?
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1249 focus
Antigone, Ismene, Chorus.
'Tis well advised, and I will tell thee all.
Oh ! may that deity propitious smile
1285
Whose altar late I left, whence Theseus raised
This w^retched suppliant, and in converse free
Mixed gracious with me ! May I hope from you
The like benevolence ? And now, my father,
I'll tell thee wherefore Polynices came.
1290
Thou seest me banished from my native land —
Unjustly banished, for no other crime
But that I strove to keep the throne of Thebes,
By birthright mine, from him who drove me thence.
The young Eteocles : not his the claim
1295
By justice, nor to me his fame in arms
Superior ; but by soft persuasive arts
He won the rebel city to his love.
Thy curse, my father, was the cause of all —
I know it was ; for so the priests declared
1300
In oracles divine. To Argos then
I came, and, to Adrastus' daughter joined
In marriage, gained the Argive chiefs, renowned
For martial deeds ; seven valiant leaders march
To Thebes, resolved to conquer or to die.
1305
Therefore to thee, my father, came I here,
To beg thy aid for me and these my friends,
Companions of the war, who threaten Thebes
With their united powers, in order thus :
The wise and brave Amphiaraus, or skilled
1310
To cast the spear, or with prophetic tongue
Disclose the will of Heaven ; with CEneus' son
-^tolian Tydeus, and Eteocles,
At Argos born ; to these Hippomedon,
1315
Sent by Talaus, his renowned sire ;
Bold Capaneus, who threatens soon to raze
The walls of mighty Thebes ; to close the train,
Parthenopsean Areas comes, the son
Of Atalantis, from her virgin name
1320
So called. With these thy hapless son (the child
Of dire misfortune rather) leads his force
From Argos to rebellious Thebes. For these,
And for their children, for the lives of all,
Suppliant to thee we come — in humble prayer
1325
To deprecate thy wrath against a wretch
Who, injured much, but seeks the vengeance due
To a base brother, whose oppressive hand
Hath drove me from my country and my throne.
If there be truth in what the gods declare,
1330
On him shall victory smile for whom thy vows
Shall rise propitious ; therefore, by our gods
And native fountains, oh ! remit thy anger,
And smile upon me, on a banished man,
A beggar like thyself, who lives, like thee,
1335
By others' bounty — in one common fate
We are united, whilst the tyrant sits
In ease at home, and laughs our woes to :
Yet if thou wouldst but listen to my vows,
Soon might I cast him forth, restore thee soon
1340
To thy dear native hind, and seat myself
In my own kingdom. Thy assent, my father,
Is all I ask ; but, oh ! without thy aid
I have no hope of safety or revenge.
Thy faithful friends, how fair an heritage
Your CEdipus hath here bequeathed his children.
O Polynices ! little is the joy
Which we can give thee of this fatal journey ;
Therefore away and leave us.
Art thou determined then, and wilt thou go ?
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1249 focus
Back to return whence late he came,
Is heav'n's next blessing to man's wretched race.
Youth comes, and with him leads a train
Of idle follies, pleasures vain:
Thence rugged toil attends his mazy way,
And Misery marks him for her prey...:
Sedition, Envy, Murder, Passion, Strife
1250
Spread horror o'er his path of life;
1250
These to the hated mansions lead
1250
Where cheerless, friendless Age reclines his drooping head.
1250
Not mine alone these ills to know,
1250
But on some bleak and rocky shore
1250
As storms and dashing billows roar, ..
So on his hapless, hoary brow
Waves heap'd on waves without control
The tempests of affliction roll:
Some from those tracts impetuous sweep,
Where the sun skirts the western deep;
Some, where he gilds the orient day;
Some, where he beams his noontide ray;
..... Some, where Arcturus in his height
Flames o'er the bosom of the night.
Hither the stranger takes his way; alone
He comes, my father; gushing from his eyes
Fast flow the tears.
Who is he?
Whom before
We deem'd him, Polynices: he is here.
Then I will speak, for well hast thou advised,
Imploring first this god, that he would deign
To be my guardian, at whose altar placed
1285
The sovereign of this country raising me
Gave me to come, to hold free converse here,
And back in safety to return. And this
Of you, O strangers, of my sisters this,
This of my father wish I to obtain.
1290
To thee, my father, I would now unfold
Why I am here. From my paternal realms
I am driv'n forth an exile, on thy throne 1.
Because I aim'd in regal state to sit,
My birth-right; but Eteocles, to years
By nature less indebted, thrust me out,
1295
Not in just right triumphant, nor his claim
Brought to the proof of arms, or noble deeds,
But winning with insidious arts the state.
Of this I know, and from the Seers have heard,
That the chief cause was thy infuriate curse.
In Doric Argos I sought refuge; there
1300
The daughter of Adrastus made my bride,
Associates in my cause I raised the Chiefs,
Lords of the Apian land, and honour'd high
For martial deeds; that I 'gainst Thebes might lead
Seven bands commanded by seven valiant Chiefs,
1305
And bravely die, or from my country chase......
Those who have wrong'd me. But of this enough.
What sanction, hither coming, claim I then?
To thee, my father, supplicating pray'rs,
For me, and my compeers in arms, I bring,
Who with seven bands beneath seven spears arranged,
1310
Are now encamp'd o'er all the plain of Thebes.
In martial prowess first, and first in skill.
To mark the flight of birds, Amphiaraus;
Ætolian Tydeus marches next, the son
Of Œneus; and next him of Argive race
1315
Eteoclus; there tow'rs Hippomedon
1315
Sent by his father Taläus; in arms
Advances Capaneus with menace high
Instant to rend the rampires to the ground.
Parthenopæus, an Arcadian, fierce
Advances, from his mother's virgin state
1320
His name deriving, the undoubted son
Of Atalanta. I these chiefs among,,
Thy son, or if not thine, at least the son
Of unpropitious Fortune, yet call'd thine,..
Lead against Thebes th' intrepid Argive troops.
By these thy daughters, by thy life, we all
1325
Suppliant entreat thee, O my father, yield,
Remit thy anger, raging 'gainst this wretch
Now roused in arms t' avenge the wrongs sustain'd
From a base brother, who hath driv'n me out,..
And robb'd me of my kingdom. But the fates,
1330
If there be faith in oracles, declare
1330
That where thou art, there Victory attends.
Now by our country's fountains, by her gods,
Let, I implore thee, my entreaties touch
Thy heart; be thou appeased; for I, like thee,
Am poor, and wander in a foreign land;
1335
One fate to us assign'd, to thee and me,
Submissive to another's will we live.
He lives in royal state, unhappy me!
And 'midst luxurious pleasures laughs alike
At thee and me. But if thy fav'ring mind
Accord with mine, him with no mighty toil,
1340
No arduous effort, will I put to flight,
And lead thee back, replace thee in thy house,
Replace myself, and drive him out by force.
This boast, if thou assent, I will achieve;
But without thee my efforts have no pow'r.
1345
In reverence to the king make some reply,
Such as thou judgest meet, then let him go.
beyond their sex, a manly part.
But you, my sons... Away, you are not mine.
For this cause fortune looks upon thee now
Not as she soon will look, when thou shalt lead
These troops to Thebes: it is not in thy fate
To rend her rampires down, but there to fall
Welt'ring in blood; such too thy brother's fate.
These curses on you I before denounced,
And now as my associates call them down,
That to a parent you may learn to show
Due reverence, nor disdain a father more
Though blind. My daughters have not been thus base;
Therefore thy seat, thy throne shall they possess;
Since Justice long renown'd, by laws of old
Establish'd, shares th' imperial throne of Jove.
But get thee hence, thou hast no father here,
Detested wretch, thou vilest of the vile,
And take these curses with thee, on thy head
Which I call down: by arms thy native land
Never may'st thou recover, nor again
Visit the vales of Argos; may'st thou die
Slain by thy brother's hand, and may thy hand
Slay him, by whom thou art to exile driv'n.
These curses I call on thee, and invoke
The parent gloom of Erebus abhorr'd
To give thee in his dark Tartarean realms
A mansion: I invoke these awful pow'rs,
And the stern god of war, who 'twixt you raised
This horrible hate. Thou hast my answer; go,
Tell all the Thebans, tell thy faithful friends
Confederate in thy cause, that Edipus
Confers this meed of merit on his sons.
hearing his prophetic voice?
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1249-1445 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-885-1 καὶ μὴν 1

mvp-comment-885-2 ἡμῖν 2

mvp-comment-886-1 ἀνδρῶν γε μοῦνος 3

mvp-comment-887-1 ἀστακτὶ 4

mvp-comment-887-2 ἀστακτὶ 5

mvp-comment-887-3 ὧδε 6

mvp-comment-888-1 κατείχομεν γνώμῃ 7

mvp-comment-889-1 δράσω 8

mvp-comment-890-1 ἐνθάδ’ ἐκβεβλημένον 9

mvp-comment-891-1 σὺν 10

mvp-comment-891-2 τῆς 11

mvp-comment-891-3 γέρων … πίνος 12

mvp-comment-891-4 συγκατῴκηκεν 13

mvp-comment-892-1 πλευρὰν μαραίνων 14

mvp-comment-892-2 κρατὶ ὀμματοστερεῖ 15

mvp-comment-892-3 ἀκτένιστος 16

mvp-comment-892-4 ᾄσσεται 17

mvp-comment-893-1 ἀδελφὰ … τούτοισιν 18

mvp-comment-893-2 φορεῖ 19

mvp-comment-894-1

"And I testify that I have come to be, have proved myself, most vile in regard to thy maintenance"
:

mvp-comment-894-2 ἥκειν 20

mvp-comment-894-3 τροφ. ταῖς σαῖσιν 21

mvp-comment-894-4 μὴ )ξ ἄλλων 22

mvp-comment-895-1 ἀλλὰ … γὰρ 23

mvp-comment-895-2 Ζηνὶ σύνθακος θρόνων 24

mvp-comment-895-3 Αἰδὼς 25

mvp-comment-895-4 ἐπ’ ἔργοις πᾶσι 26

mvp-comment-895-5 καὶ πρὸς σοί 27

mvp-comment-896-1 τῶν γὰρ ἡμαρτημένων 28

mvp-comment-896-2 προσφορὰ 29

mvp-comment-897-1 τί σιγᾷς 30

mvp-comment-898-1 μή μ’ ἀποστραφῇς 31

mvp-comment-898-2 ἀτιμάσας 32

mvp-comment-899-1 ὦ σπέρματ’ 33

mvp-comment-899-2 ἐμαὶ δ’ 34

mvp-comment-900-1 ἀλλ’ ὑμεῖς γε 35

mvp-comment-901-1 δυσπρόσοιστον 36

mvp-comment-901-2 στόμα 37

mvp-comment-902-1 ὡς μή μ’ ἄτιμον … οὕτως ἀφῇ με 38

mvp-comment-902-2 Elmsley's conjecture

οὕτως ἀφιῇ
, which Hartung adopts, is unmetrical.
ἵημι
has ι^ always in pres. subj. and opt.: Il. 13.234
μεθίῃσι μάχεσθαι
 : Hom. Hymn. 4.152
προίῃ βέλεα στονόεντα
: Theogn. 94
γλῶσσαν ἱῇσι κακήν
: Od. 2.185
ὧδ’ ἀνιείης
. In Aristoph. Lys. 157
τί δ); ἢν ἀφίωσιν ἄνδρες ἡμᾶς, ὦ μέλε
(so the MSS.), Kuster brought in a gratuitous error by writing
ἀφίωσ’
, which Dindorf has adopted. (As Chandler says,
ἀφίωσι
is a false accent for
ἀφιῶσι
. Accent. , 2nd ed. § 794, cp. § 820.) In the pres. indic., imper., inf., and part., ι— is normal, but Homeric verse usually has ι^ in thesis (as when
ἵενται
ends a line); and the part.
ἱείς
(
ι—
in Aristoph. Eq. 522 ) occurs with
ι^
in Trag. ( Aesch. Th. 493 , etc.). Cp. El. 131 n.

mvp-comment-902-3 ἀφῆται 39

mvp-comment-902-4 τοῦ θεοῦ γε 40

mvp-comment-902-5 προστάτην 41

mvp-comment-902-6 οὕτως 42

mvp-comment-903-1 χρείᾳ 43

mvp-comment-904-1 τὰ πολλὰ ῥήματα 44

mvp-comment-904-2 ἢ τέρψαντά τι 45

mvp-comment-905-1 ἀφωνήτοις 46

mvp-comment-906-1 ἐξηγεῖ 47

mvp-comment-907-1 ποιούμενος ᾀρωγόν 48

mvp-comment-907-2 ὧδε 49

mvp-comment-907-3 ἀνέστησεν 50

mvp-comment-908-1 λέξαι τ’ ἀκοῦσαί τ’ 51

mvp-comment-908-2 ἐξόδῳ 52

mvp-comment-909-1 βουλήσομαι 53

mvp-comment-910-1 θέλω δὲ λέξαι 54

mvp-comment-911-1 πανάρχοις 55

mvp-comment-911-2 γεραίτερος 56

mvp-comment-911-3 In Attic prose the comparative of

γεραιός
always implies the contrast between youth and a more advanced period of life ( Thuc. 6.18
ἅμα νέοι γεραιτέροις βουλεύοντες
). The use in the text, to denote merely priority of birth (Attic
πρεσβύτερος
), is Ionic, as Her. 6.52
ἀμφότερα τὰ παιδία ἡγήσασθαι βασιλέας, τιμᾶν δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν γεραίτερον
: and poetical, as Theocr. 15. 139
ὁ γεραίτατος εἴκατι παίδων
 .

mvp-comment-912-1 ἀνθ’ ὧν 57

mvp-comment-913-1 λόγῳ 58

mvp-comment-913-2 εἰς ἔλεγχον 59

mvp-comment-913-3 χειρὸς οὐδ’ ἔργου 60

mvp-comment-914-1 μάλιστα μὲν 61

mvp-comment-914-2 τὴν σὴν Ἐρινὺν 62

mvp-comment-914-3 μάντεων 63

mvp-comment-915-1 The γὰρ seems meant to introduce a further account of what the

μάντεις
at Argos had said; but no such explanation is given. γὰρ cannot be explained, at this point in the story, as the mere preface to narrative ( O. T. 277 ); that should have stood in 1292. Yet I would not write δ’ ἄρ’ . The hearers are left to understand that he found the seers among his new allies.

mvp-comment-915-2 τὸ Δωρικόν 64

mvp-comment-916-1 γῆς Ἀπίας 65

mvp-comment-917-1 τετίμηνται 66

mvp-comment-917-2 δορί 67

mvp-comment-918-1 τὸν ἑπτάλογχον … στόλον 68

mvp-comment-919-1 πανδίκως 69

mvp-comment-919-2 τοὺς τάδ’ ἐκπρ 70

mvp-comment-920-1 εἶεν 71

mvp-comment-921-1 αὐτός τ’ 72

mvp-comment-922-1 τάξεσιν … λόγχαις 73

mvp-comment-923-1 δορυσσοῦς 74

mvp-comment-923-2 δορυσσόος 75

mvp-comment-923-3 Ἀμφιάρεως 76

mvp-comment-923-4 τὰ πρῶτα μὲν … πρῶτα δέ 78

mvp-comment-923-5 οἰωνῶν ὁδοῖς 79

mvp-comment-924-1 The thirteen lines (1313— 1325) which contain the list of chiefs illustrate the poet's tact. There is no pomp of description, no superfluous detail; but the three most interesting points are lightly touched,—the character of Amphiaraus, the character of Capaneus, and the parentage of Parthenopaeus. The dramatic purpose is to dignify the strife, and to heighten the terror of the father's curse, which falls not only on the guilty son, but on his allies (cp. 1400).

mvp-comment-924-2 The list agrees in names, though not in order, with Aesch. Th. 377—652 , where each name is associated with one of the seven gates of Thebes, as probably in the epic Thebaid. (Cp. Ant. 141 ff., where the seven champions appear as having been slain and spoiled ,—the special doom of Amphiaraus being ignored.) Eur. Phoen. 1104 —1188 also has this list, except that Eteoclus is omitted, and Adrastus (the one survivor) substituted. In his Supplices Eteoclus and Adrastus are both included, while either Hippomedon or Amphiaraus seems to be omitted.

mvp-comment-925-1 Τυδεύς 80

mvp-comment-925-2 Ἐτέοκλος 81

mvp-comment-925-3 Ἱππομέδοντ’ 82

mvp-comment-926-1 κατασκαφῇ … δῃώσειν πυρί 83 πυρί 84 κατασκαφῇ 85

mvp-comment-926-2 Καπανεὺς 86

mvp-comment-927-1 Παρθενοπαῖος 87

mvp-comment-927-2 ἐπώνυμος τῆς πρόσθεν ἀδμήτης 88 χρόνῳ μητρὸς λοχευθείς 89

mvp-comment-927-3 χρόνῳ 90

mvp-comment-928-1 ἐγὼ δὲ σός 91

mvp-comment-928-2 πότμου 92

mvp-comment-929-1 ἀντὶ παίδων ... ἱκετεύομεν 93

mvp-comment-930-1 μῆνιν ...εἰκαθεῖν 94

mvp-comment-930-2 τοὐμοῦ 95

mvp-comment-931-1 Since πάτρας must clearly go with both verbs, it would seem that, aided by ἐξέωσε , the poet has used ἀπεσύλησεν with the constr. of

ἀπεστέρησεν
. Elsewhere we find only
ἀποσυλᾶν τί τινος
, to strip a thing from a man (cp. 922), or
ἀποσυλᾶν τινά τι
, to strip a man of a thing. We cannot here take πάτρας as gen. of the person robbed, (
"snatched me from my country,"
) since ἐξέωσε implies that the expeller is within the country. Nor could we well read πάτραν (
"took my country from me"
).

mvp-comment-932-1 χρηστηρίων 96

mvp-comment-932-2 προσθῇ 97

mvp-comment-932-3 ἔφασκ’ 99

mvp-comment-933-1 κρηνῶν 100

mvp-comment-934-1 πιθέσθαι 101

mvp-comment-934-2 The v.l. πτωχὸς for ξένος doubtless arose from a feeling that the word repeated should be that which immediately preceded μέν (cp. on 5

): but
πτωχοὶ καὶ ξένοι
forms one notion, in which
ξένοι
is the more important element.

mvp-comment-935-1 θωπεύοντες 102

mvp-comment-936-1 δαίμον’ 103

mvp-comment-936-2 ἐξειληχότες 104

mvp-comment-936-3 ἐξειληφότες 105

mvp-comment-937-1 τάλας 106

mvp-comment-937-2 ἁβρύνετι 107

mvp-comment-938-1 φρενί 108

mvp-comment-939-1 ὄγκῳ 109

mvp-comment-939-2 σὺν 110

mvp-comment-939-3 διασκεδῶ 111

mvp-comment-939-4 στήσω … στήσω δ’ 112

mvp-comment-939-5 ἄγων 113

mvp-comment-940-1 οὐδὲ σωθῆναι 114

mvp-comment-941-1 τοῦ πέμψαντος 115

mvp-comment-941-2 εἰπὼν … ἔκπεμψαι 116

mvp-comment-942-1 δημοῦχοι 117

mvp-comment-943-1 δικαιῶν ὥστ’ 118

mvp-comment-944-1 ὀμφῆς 119

mvp-comment-945-1 ἀξιωθεὶς … κἀκούσας γ’ 120

mvp-comment-945-2 τοιαῦθ’ 121

mvp-comment-946-1 ὅς γ’, ὦ κάκιστε 122

mvp-comment-946-2 σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους 123

mvp-comment-947-1 ἃ 124

mvp-comment-948-1 τὸν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ 125

mvp-comment-948-2 ἔθηκας ἄπολιν … καὶ φορεῖν 126

mvp-comment-948-3 ἄπολιν 128

mvp-comment-948-4 ταύτας 129

mvp-comment-949-1 πόνῳ … κακῶν 130

mvp-comment-949-2 βεβηκὼς 131

mvp-comment-949-3 ἐμοί 132

mvp-comment-950-1 κλαυστὰ … οἰστέα 133

mvp-comment-950-2 ἐμοὶ μὲν 134

mvp-comment-951-1 I have little doubt that τάδ’, ἕωσπερ , not τάδ’, ὥσπερ , is the true reading here. The synizesis of ἕως was familiar through Homer: Od. 2.148

τὼ δ’ ἕως μέν ῥ) ἐπέτοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο
: Il. 17.727
ἕως μὲν γάρ τε θέουσι διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες
. In Ph. 1330
ὡς ἂν αὑτὸς ἥλιος
, Scaliger rightly changed
ὡς
to
ἕως
(first adopted by Wunder); Brunck, with less probability, to
ἔστ’
. In Ai. 1117
ὡς ἂν ᾖς ὀ=ός περ εἶ, ὡς
is more easily defended; but there also (I now think)
ἕως
was rightly conjectured by Scaliger.

mvp-comment-951-2 ἕωσπερ 135

mvp-comment-951-3 φονέως 136

mvp-comment-951-4 μεμνημένος 138

mvp-comment-952-1 μόχθῳ … ἔντροφον 139

mvp-comment-952-2 ἐκ σέθεν 141

mvp-comment-953-1 ἐπαιτῶ 142

mvp-comment-954-1 εἰ δ’ ἐξέφυσα … μὴ 143

mvp-comment-954-2 τὸ σὸν μέρος 144

mvp-comment-955-1 εἰς τὸ συμπονεῖν 145

mvp-comment-955-2 ἀπ’ ἄλλου 146

mvp-comment-956-1 τοιγάρ σ’ ὁ δαίμων 147

mvp-comment-956-2 I hold εἴπερ to be right: it refers to the statement made by Polyneices, which it does not call in question, but merely notes as the condition.

mvp-comment-956-3 κινοῦνται 148

mvp-comment-957-1 κείνην ἐρείψεις 149

mvp-comment-957-2 αἵματι … μιανθεὶς 150

mvp-comment-958-1 τοιάσδ’ 151

mvp-comment-958-2 ἐξανῆκ’ 152

mvp-comment-958-3 ξυμμάχους 153

mvp-comment-959-1 ἀνακαλοῦμαι 154

mvp-comment-960-1 ἵν’ ἀξιῶτον 155

mvp-comment-960-2 τοὺς φυτεύσαντας σέβειν 156

mvp-comment-961-1 καὶ μὴ )ξατιμάζητον 157

mvp-comment-961-2 ἔφυτον 158

mvp-comment-962-1 τοιγὰρ τὸ σὸν θ. 159

mvp-comment-962-2 Δίκη 160

mvp-comment-962-3 θάκημα 161

mvp-comment-962-4 κρατοῦσιν 162

mvp-comment-963-1 ἡ παλαίφατος 163

mvp-comment-964-1 ξύνεδρος 164 Ζηνὸς 165

mvp-comment-964-2 ἀρχαίοισνόμοις 166

mvp-comment-965-1 κἀπάτωρ … ἐμοῦ 167

mvp-comment-966-1 συλλαβὼν 168

mvp-comment-966-2 καλοῦμαι 169

mvp-comment-966-3 ἐμφυλίου 170

mvp-comment-967-1 δόρει 171

mvp-comment-967-2 νοστῆσαι 172

mvp-comment-967-3 τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος 173

mvp-comment-968-1 κτανεῖν θ’ 174

mvp-comment-968-2 175

mvp-comment-969-1 πατρῷον 176

mvp-comment-969-2 I prefer (1), but suspect that the poet used

πατρῷον
with some measure of deliberate vagueness, leaving the hearers to choose between its possible associations, or to blend them. No emendation seems probable: see cr. n.

mvp-comment-969-3 ἀποικίσῃ 177

mvp-comment-970-1 τάσδε δαίμονας 178

mvp-comment-970-2 Ἄρη 179

mvp-comment-971-1 ἐξάγγελλε 180

mvp-comment-972-1 γέρα 181

mvp-comment-973-1 οὔτε … τε 182

mvp-comment-973-2 ὁδοῖς 183

mvp-comment-973-3 Wecklein reads ξυνήδομαί σου (for σοι ): rightly, I think. With σοι, ταῖς παρελθούσαις ὁδοῖς is usu. taken as causal,

" on account of thy past journeys"
: but such a dat., in addition to the dat. of the person , is most awkward. We should expect either the dat. with
ἐπί
, or else a gen., as Dem. or. 15 § 15
Ῥοδίοις γε...συγχαίρω τῶν γεγενημένων
. And ξυνήδομαι was constantly used with a dat. of the thing in which one takes joy, or of which one approves: Isocr. or. 5 § 8
συνησθεὶς...τοῖς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης
: or. 8 § 87
συνησθησόμενοι ταῖς ἡμετέραις συμφοραῖς
(exult in): Eur. Med. 136
οὐδὲ συνήδομαι ...ἄλγεσι δώματος
: Hipp. 1286
τί...τοῖσδε συνήδει;
 (these deeds ): Rhes. 958
οὐ μὴν θανόντι γ’ οὐδαμῶς συνήδομαι
(his death): Arist. Rhet. 2.4 . 3
τὸν συνηδόμενον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς
(rejoicing in one's prosperity).

mvp-comment-974-1 οἴμοι 184

mvp-comment-974-2 τῆς ἐμῆς 185 κελεύθου 186

mvp-comment-975-1 οἷον … ὁδοῦ τέλος 187

mvp-comment-975-2 τάλας 188

mvp-comment-976-1 οἷον 189 φωνῆσαι 190

mvp-comment-976-2 ἀλλ’ ὄντ’ 191

mvp-comment-977-1 τοῦδ’ 192

mvp-comment-977-2 ἀλλ’ 193

mvp-comment-978-1 τὰ σκληρὰ 194

mvp-comment-978-2 ταῦτ’ 195

mvp-comment-979-1 μή τοί με … μή μ’ 196

mvp-comment-980-1 θέσθε ἐν τάφοισι 197

mvp-comment-980-2 θέσθε ἐν κτερίσμασι 198

mvp-comment-980-3 κτερίσματα 199

mvp-comment-980-4 The poet's allusion to his own Antigone is lightly and happily made. Polyneices here naturally prays for regular funeral rites. That prayer was doomed to disappointment. And yet the

κτερίσματα
for which he asks are represented by the
χοαὶ τρίσπονδοι
which, in the Antigone , his sister pours, after the symbolic rite of scattering dust on the unburied corpse ( Ant. 431 ).

mvp-comment-981-1 κομίζετον 200

mvp-comment-981-2 οἷς 201

mvp-comment-981-3 οἴσει 202

mvp-comment-981-4 τῆς ἐμῆς ὑπουργίας 203

mvp-comment-982-1 — 1446 The dialogue between sister and brother illustrates her affection for him, and thus strengthens the link (1405 ff.) between this play and the Antigone. It has, however, a further dramatic purpose. The version of the paternal curse adopted by Sophocles tended to suggest this question to the spectator:—Why should Polyneices persevere in the war, when his defeat and death had been definitely foretold to him? For he plainly believes the prediction (cp. 1407, 1435), though he affects to think that there is a chance of escape (1444). The answer is furnished by the traits of his character which this dialogue brings out. They give the

ἠθικὴ πίστις
for a course which might otherwise have seemed improbable.

mvp-comment-983-1 τὸ ποῖον 204

mvp-comment-984-1 ὡς τάχιστά γε 205

mvp-comment-985-1 πόλιν 206

mvp-comment-986-1 The MS.

πῶς γὰρ αὖθις αὖ πάλιν
στράτευμ’ ἄγοιμι ταὐτόν
is defensible if we take πῶς ἄγοιμι as dubitative, "How could I possibly lead?" See Appendix on 170. But there is at least a strong probability that the poet used ἄν here, instead of employing the much rarer construction. So far as our MSS. are concerned, the dropping out of ἄν after ἄγοιμι is not much less likely than the change of ἄν into αὖ . Either would have been easy. I prefer
αὖθις ἂν ... ἄγοιμι
to
αὖθις αὖ... ἄγοιμ’ ἄν
, because ἄν is thus more forcibly placed, and serves also to bring out αὖθις . We have
αὖθις αὖ πάλιν
in Ph. 952 , but usually
αὖθις πάλιν
( 364 : Ph. 127 , 342 , 1232 : Tr. 342 : Ai. 305 : fr. 444. 3 ).

mvp-comment-986-2 To Porson's

αὖθις αὖ...ἄγοιμι ταὔτ’ ἄν
the drawback is the elision. We find
ταὔτ’
for the plur.
ταὐτά
( O. T. 284 , 840 etc.); but tragedy, which preferred
ταὐτόν
to
ταὐτό
(though admitting the latter under metrical necessity, O. T. 734 ), would hardly have elided the
ο
in that word. Ant. 462
αὔτ’
 (for
αὐτό
) is solitary in Soph.: L has
αὖτ’
.

mvp-comment-986-3 ταὐτὸν 207

mvp-comment-987-1 αὖθις 208

mvp-comment-987-2 πάτραν 209

mvp-comment-988-1 πρεσβεύοντ’ 210

mvp-comment-988-2 οὕτω 211

mvp-comment-989-1 The MS. ἐκφέρει is usu. taken as intrans.,

"come to fulfilment."
The only relevant support for this is Tr. 824
ὁπότε τελεόμηνος ἐκφέροι | δωδέκατος ἄροτος
,
"come to an end."
The sense is different in Il. 23.376
ἔκφερον ἵπποι
 ,
"shot ahead"
(and so Xen. Equest. 3. 4, of a horse running away). Hence Hermann's surely forced rendering here,
" rush forward to their fulfilment."
But ἐκφέρει may be also 2nd pers. pres. midd.,
"fulfil for thyself."
Cp. the use of the active in Il. 21.450
μισθοῖο τέλος... Ὧραι | ἐξέφερον
, accomplished the term of our hire: Pind. Nem. 4.60
Χείρων

mvp-comment-989-2 ἐς ὀρθὸν 212

mvp-comment-990-1 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν 213

mvp-comment-991-1 χρῄζει γάρ 214

mvp-comment-992-1 ἕπεσθαι 215

mvp-comment-993-1 οὐδ’ 216

mvp-comment-993-2 φλαῦῤ 217

mvp-comment-994-1 ἔσται μέλουσα 218

mvp-comment-995-1 κακὴ 219

mvp-comment-996-1 εὐοδοίη 220

mvp-comment-996-2 τάδ’ εἰ θανόντι μοι | τελεῖτ’ 221

mvp-comment-996-3 ἐπεὶ οὐ 222

mvp-comment-996-4 ἕξετον 223

mvp-comment-997-1 μέθεσθε 224

mvp-comment-998-1 The change of persons within the verse (

ἀντιλαβή
) marks excitement: cp. 652, 820, 1169.

mvp-comment-998-2 καὶ τίς 225

mvp-comment-998-3 προῦπτον 226

mvp-comment-999-1 μὴ σύ γ’ 227

mvp-comment-999-2 ἃ μὴ δεῖ 230

mvp-comment-1000-1 εἰ … στερηθῶ 231

mvp-comment-1000-2 ταῦτα δ’ 232

mvp-comment-1000-3 ταῦτα 233 φῦναι 234

mvp-comment-1000-4 ἐν τῷ δ. 235

mvp-comment-1000-5 φῦναι 236

mvp-comment-1000-6 The MS. σφῷν is better than σφὼ , to which some edd., following Elmsley, have needlessly changed it.

" For you two my prayer is—that ye ne'er meet with ills."
The contrast between his own case and theirs is thus more impressively marked than it would be by the acc. (
"my prayer is that you two ne'er meet with ills"
). For the dat. of the person in whose interest the prayer is made, cp. O. T. 269 , Ph. 1019 , Ai. 392 . For

mvp-comment-1000-7 ἀρῶμαι 237

mvp-comment-1001-1 πᾶσιν 238

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

1250. mvp-comment-666-1 Here comes, as it would seem, the man from Argos, shedding copious tears:-and, father, it is indeed no other-. For ἡμῖν, cp. esp. supr. 81, and note. Here we have approaching to disturb us.' ἀνδρῶν γε μοῦνος] (1) Some appear to take this with λείβων δάκρυον, Weeping, unlike other men. Praeter morem virorum.' (Hermann.) But, besides the poverty of such a sense, the weeping of men is not uncommon in Greek poetry, or even in Greek history. Others (Schndw.) take μοῦνος = μονωθείς, Without companions, referring to the apprehension expressed in 1206-1207. This is rightly rejected by Dindorf. Antigone does not at once name Polynices, for fear of offending her father, but she cannot help ejaculating It is indeed no other; i. e. than Polynices, whom you supposed him to be (1. 1171). Cp. supra 321, μόνης τόδ᾽ ἐστὶ δῆλον Ἰσμήνης κάρα (' Ismene and no other'), 319, οὔκ ἐστιν ἄλλη: Τr. 261, μόνον βροτῶν : 355, μόνος θεῶν : Εl. 531, μοῦνος Ἑλλήνων. The imperfect expression makes the question of Oedipus more natural, τίς ούτος; Whom do you mean? 1252-1253. ὅνπερ καὶ πάλαι κατείχομεν γνώμῃ] Supra 1171.

1254. mvp-comment-667-1 Cp. the first words of Ismene, 11. 324-326.

1255. mvp-comment-668-1 τὰ τοῦδ᾽ ὁρῶν τά is in the same construction with κακά, governed by δακρύσω: but is also governed by ὁρῶν, which is added epexegetically. 1258, foll. In such raiment, whose hateful soilure hath grown old and settled on his aged frame, withering his side.' The conjectural emendation πίνος, which is due to Scaliger, agrees admirably with the context as well as with l. 1597, and the MS. reading is here indefensible.

1260. mvp-comment-669-1 The rhythm here curiously resembles that of supr. 314. 5.

1260. mvp-comment-669-2 κρατί is a locative dative, and ὀμματοστερής has a passive meaning.

1261. mvp-comment-670-1 ᾄσσεται The middle or passive form is used as in the Homeric expression ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται | ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται, ΙΙ. 6.510. 1263-1264. 'And of a piece with these miseries, as it would seem. is the provision for the poor belly's nourishment which he carries with him.' The word φορεῖ, taken in connection with the preceding context, shows that the remark of Polynices refers to the appearance of the scrip or wallet in which Oedipus, like the Telephus of Euripides, carried the scanted gifts which he received. (1. 3.)

1265-1266. mvp-comment-671-1 And I declare that thy neglected condition proves me basest of Ask not others about me. For the correction, cp. El. 1225, μηκέτ᾽ ἄλλοθεν πύθῃ. The confusion of µ and λλ would easily occur with μὴ ἐξ ἄλλων following. For the meaning of ἥκειν, see Essay on Language § 52. p. 97; and for the dative τροφαῖς, ib. § 14. p. 21 (2).

1267. mvp-comment-672-1 But seeing that even Zeus has Mercy at his side in all his counsels, let her have place also by thee, O my father.'

1269-1270. mvp-comment-673-1 For while it is possible to remedy the errors that have been committed, to add to them is now impossible; i.e. We can restore you to some comforts, but you cannot be made more miserable. For the expression, cp. Aesch. Eum. 645, πέδας μὲν ἂν λύσειεν, ἔστι τοῦδ᾽ ἄκος.

1269-1270. mvp-comment-673-2 μέν ἐστι .. οὐκ ἔστ' This accentuation was retained by Elmsley from previous editions. The stress in the first clause is on ἄκη, in the second on οὐκ ἔστι.

1271. mvp-comment-674-1 The interrupted verse marks the solemn pause in which Polynices waits for his father to break silence.

1274. mvp-comment-675-1 ἃ μηνίεις Ε. on L. § 17. p. 25.

1277. mvp-comment-676-1 To unlock our father's lips, that will not speak nor be spoken to.' δυσπρόσοιστον = χαλεπὸν προσφέρεσθαι.

1277. mvp-comment-676-2 ἀπροσήγορον has rather a reciprocal than either an active or a passive meaning. Cp. Phil. 1353, τῷ προσήγορος; Eur. Alc. 195, ὃν οὐ προσείπε καὶ προσερρήθη πάλιν. Cp. supr. 1141 and note. For κινεῖν = ‘Τo excite to speech,' cp. Plat. Rep. 329 D, βουλόμενος ἔτι λέγειν αὐτὸν ἐκίνουν.

1279. mvp-comment-677-1 οὕτως *ἀφῇ γε The second με was rightly rejected by Turnebus. The second γε, on the other hand, gives an intelligible emphasis to οὕτως, which is further explained by μηδέν.. ἔπος. 1280 ff. The wisdom of this counsel is in keeping with the tact, beyond her years, which Antigone herself elsewhere displays.

1281-1282. mvp-comment-678-1 'For speech, when lengthened out, may either by gratifying some fancy, by awakening some impatience or some pity. For the causative use of δυσχεραίνω and κατοικτίζω, which is assisted by the active τέρψαντα preceding, see Essay on Language § 53. p. 98, and cp. the passive κατῳκτίσθην in Eur. I. A. 686. The more usual meaning, By expressing anger or pity, is unsuited to the circumstances (Polynices was not likely to move Oedipus by expressing anger or pity), and affords no suitable connection with the following line.

1286. mvp-comment-679-1 ἔνθεν From whose altar. ἀνέστησεν] On raising the suppliant, cp. supra 264. 276, and notes.

1290. mvp-comment-680-1 κυρεῖν To be made good. For this emphatic use of κυρέω, cp. Tr. 291, νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ.

1291. mvp-comment-681-1 ἅ Cp. supra 1274, and note.

1294. mvp-comment-682-1 γονῇ ·· γεραιτέρᾳ Of elder birth. See Essay on Language § 42. p. 80.

1295. mvp-comment-683-1 φύσει By birth, answering to πεφυκώς, supra. Cp. Hdt. 7. 134, φύσει γεγονότες εὖ.

1297. mvp-comment-684-1 χειρὸς οὔτ᾽ ἔργου i. e. οὔτε χειρὸς οὔτ᾽ ἔργου. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 532, Πάρις γὰρ οὔτε συντελὴς πόλις, κ.τ.λ. The first οὔτε may be suppressed because of οὔτε preceding. But Hermann's conj., οὐδ', is not improbable.

1300. mvp-comment-685-1 The reading of Lis more distinct than that of Par. A, but there is still some degree of inexactness in the language. For μάλιστα μέν does not oppose Polynices' own opinion to the words of the prophets, but the anger of Oedipus to other causes of disaster at Thebes.

1301. mvp-comment-686-1 The connection shows that the μάντεις are the soothsayers of his new army, who had obtained information of the oracle given to the θεωροί from Thebes: infr. 1331-1332, cp. supr. 387 ff.

1301. mvp-comment-686-2 Ἄργος .. Δωρικόν) The plain of Argolis, as distinguished from the Pelasgic Argos in Thessaly. II. 2. 681. rex

1303. mvp-comment-687-1 γῆς .. Ἀπίας

Apis ut Sicyonii teste Pausania 2, 5, 5, ferebant, fuerat Peloponnesi, a quo tota Peloponnesus nomen Apiae terrae accepit. Ex iis, quae de eo rege Aeschylus Suppl. 270 seqq. (260 foll.) refert, intelligitur illud τὸν ἤπιον significare, fabulamque illam ad vitae humanioris cultum in illis locis introductum spectare.
Hermann: whose inference is, however, scarcely justified by the words of Aeschylus.

1304. mvp-comment-688-1 καὶ τετίμηνται δόρει And are honoured most in war. The superlative notion is continued from πρῶτοι. Ср. О. Т. 1205 and note.

1305. mvp-comment-689-1 τὸν ἑπτάλογχον.. στόλον The article is probably used by an anachronism: i. e. The well-known expedition of the seven chieftains. Cp. supra 1066, and note. For the adj. cp. infr. 1311.

1305. mvp-comment-689-2 ἐς Θήβας depends on the idea of motion implied in the sentence = στόλον στειλάμενος.

1306. mvp-comment-690-1 πανδίκως Might either die and make an end, as is fitting. The latter part of the compound is subordinate, but supplies a certain notion of fitness, i. e. πανδίκως = πάντως, ὡς δίκαιον. The same thought is present as in Aj. 479-480, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ καλῶς ζῆν, ἢ καλῶς τεθνηκέναι | τὸν εὐγενή χρή.

1310. mvp-comment-691-1 ἐμαυτοῦ On my own account. Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

1311. mvp-comment-692-1 σὺν ἑπτά τε λόγχαις Cp. Ant. 106, τὸν . . Ἀργόθεν φῶτα βάντα πανσαγία: 141-142. ταχθέντες ἴσοι πρὸς ἴσους ἔλιπον Ζηνὶ τροπαίῳ πάγχαλκα τέλη. (1) The uplifted spear of each leader is singled out for special mention as that to which all eyes would turn for the signal to march, etc. Cp. Trach. 856, κελαινὰ λόγχα προμάχου δορός, Aesch. Eum. 766, εὖ κεκασμένον δορύ. Although λόγχη, like ἀσπίς, is sometimes used collectively, ἑπτὰ ἀσπίδες could never mean seven heavy-armed battalions. (2) If τάξις might have the special meaning of a troop of cavalry, it might mig be proposed to read λόχοις for λόγχαις.

1313. mvp-comment-693-1 Ἀμφιάρεως.

1314. mvp-comment-694-1 πρώτα δ᾽ οἰωνῶν ὁδοῖς And skilled before all men in the intricate meanings of the flight of birds.

1318-1319. mvp-comment-695-1 κατασκαφῇ Dative of the manner: πυρί, dative of the instrument: In utter demolition to burn with fire.

1320. mvp-comment-696-1 ὄρνυται Rushes on. The word indicates the fiery youth of Parthenopaeus.

1321. mvp-comment-697-1 ἐπώνυμος.. λοχευθείς Called so, because the late offspring of a mother, who beforetime was long a virgin. The genitive is governed partly by ἐπώνυμος and partly by λοχευθείς, which is added epexegetically. Cp. supra 1255, and note. Essay on Language § 43. p. 82.

1321. mvp-comment-697-2 χρόνῳ refers to the long-continued maidenhood of Atalanta, and is in construction either (1) with πρόσθεν, or rather (2) with λοχευθείς.

1322. mvp-comment-698-1 πιστός Steadfast: δίκαιος κἀγαθὸς παραστάτης, Ant. 671. An ornamental epithet, suitably applied by Polynices to one of his faithful companions. Cp. infra 1395.

1323-1325. mvp-comment-699-1 ἐγὼ δὲ.. ἄγω Polynices ends with the mention of himself, but, instead of continuing the enumeration, distinguishes himself from the rest as the leader of all.

1323-1325. mvp-comment-699-2 σός Sc. γόνος.

1323-1325. mvp-comment-699-3 τοῦ κακοῦ πότμου φυτευθείς Cp. Ο. Τ. 1080, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐμαυτὸν παῖδα τῆς τύχης νέμων, κ.τ.λ.

1323-1325. mvp-comment-699-4 Ἄργους is partly gen. of place = rdv ἐξ Ἄργους opposed to ἐς Θήβας, partly descriptive = 'Αργεῖον.

1326. mvp-comment-700-1 To make his supplication more impressive Polynices represents the whole army, which he has described, as joining in it. Ср. О. Т. 326-327, ἐπεὶ | πάντες σε προσκυνοῦμεν οἵδ᾽ ἱκτήριοι.

1326. mvp-comment-700-2 ἀντὶ.. ψυχῆς] 'By these thy children, and by thy life. This rare use of ἀντί is to be explained by the notion of equivalence. At the price of your children; i. e. As you love them. Cp. El. 537, ἀλλ ἀντ᾿ ἀδελφοῦ. 'But for his brother's sake.'

1328. mvp-comment-701-1 μήνιν εἰκαθεῖν Το yield your wrath.' The construction is singular, but εἰκαθεῖν = χαλᾶν. Essay on Language § 16. p. 23.

1330. mvp-comment-702-1 πάτρας The accusative would be an equally regular construction, but the genitive is preferred because admitting of a construction with both verbs.

1331-1332. mvp-comment-703-1 For, if any event is to be believed in as issuing from prophecy, the God declared the victory to be with those whom you support.' ἐκ χρηστηρίων, sc. ἀποβαίνον. προσθῇ, SC. ἀλκήν, or the like. Cp. Hdt. 2. 160, τῷ ἀστῷ ἀγωνιζομένῳ προσθήσονται.

1333. mvp-comment-704-1 Now, by the wells and by the Gods of our race. Although ὁμογνίων adheres closely to θεῶν, the same idea is extended to κρηνῶν, The wells of which our fathers drank. The v. r., πρὸς θεῶν, deserves attention.

1336. mvp-comment-705-1 ἄλλους.. θωπεύοντες Courting favours from others at Argos and at Athens. οἰκοῦμεν) We obtain a dwellingplace.

1337. mvp-comment-706-1 ἐξειληφότες Having received. Cp. Plat. Soph. 227 B, where there is a similar doubt between εἰλήφασι and εἰλήχασι and the MSS. are strongly in favour of εἰλήφασι. For ἐξειληχότες, which is equally probable, cp. El. 760.

1340-1341. mvp-comment-707-1 ὃν.. διασκεδῶ Whose forces I will scatter to the winds.' Eteocles stands for his power, as Polynices for his in Ant. 106, τὸν λεύκασπιν Αργόθεν φῶτα βάντα, κ.τ.λ.

1340. mvp-comment-708-1 τήμῇ · · φρενί If you will side with me. For this periphrasis, cp. Ant. 1015, τῆς σῆς ἐκ φρενός : ib. 1063, μὴ ᾿μπολήσων .. τὴν ἐμὴν φρένα: Τr. 538, ἐμπόλημα τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός.

1341. mvp-comment-709-1 With little effort and in brief time.' ὄγκος, is originally bulk' or mass. Hence it has the two secondary senses of (1) importance, (2) effort. Cp. Eur. Troad. 107-108, ὦ πολὺς ὄγκος ξυστελλομένων | προγόνων, ὡς οὐδὲν ἄρ᾽ ἦσθα. Virg. Aen. 1. 37,

Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem.
For διασκεδῶ, cp. supra 620, Ant. 287, γῆν ἐκείνων καὶ νόμους διασκεδῶν.

1348. mvp-comment-710-1 The objections to δημοῦχοι, which has the authority of the first hand of L. (but cp. 1355), are well stated by Hermann: Reisigius ingeniose conjecit, ἄνδρες τῆσδε δημοῦχοι χθονός. Non est tamen credibile, ita scripsisse poetam, tum quia tam verbosa compellatio minus convenit homini irato, tum quod nudum nomen Thesei hic, ubi regia auctoritate se permotum indicare vult Oedipus, non satis grave est. For δημοῦχος, as applied to Theseus, cp. supra 1087.

1350. mvp-comment-711-1 For the amplification of the phrase with ὥστε, cp. Phil. 901, ἔπεισεν ὥστε μὴ μὲ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι; Eur. Hipp. 1327, ἤθελ᾽ ὥστε γίγνεσθαι τάδε.

1351. mvp-comment-712-1 ὀμφῆς τῆς ἐμῆς My voice. For the solemn association attaching to ὀμφή, cp. supra 550, κατ' ὀμφὴν σήν, and note.

1352. mvp-comment-713-1 νῦν δ᾽ ἀξιωθεὶς εἶσι But now this shall be vouchsafed him ere he go; yea, and he shall hear words that shall in nowise cheer his path of life: thine, O thou wretch,' etc.

1356. mvp-comment-714-1 τὸν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ For αὑτοῦ = σεαυτοῦ, and for the order of words, cp. supr. 930.

1357. mvp-comment-715-1 στολάς Supr. 1258.

1357. mvp-comment-715-2 φορεῖν Governed by the notion of causation in ἔθηκας = ἐποίησας.

1359. mvp-comment-716-1 κακών Added to supplement πόνῳ. Cp. supra 1029-1030, ὕβριν τόλμης. .. 1360-1361. This is no case for tears. By me these things must be borne, however I live, never forgetting that you are my murderer.' κλαυστά] Some editors read κλαυτά. Dd2 The MS. reading is defended by Hermann, who says, Ego quidem suspicor in hoc nomine verbali idem accidisse, quod in γνωστός et γνωτός factum videri at Oed. R. 362 (361) adnotavi, ut hae formae subtili quodam significationis discrimine distinguerentur. Nam, nisi fallor, κλαυτός proprie est defletus, deinde autem ad exemplum aliorum verbalium lacrimabilis; κλαυστός autem lacrimandus, i. e. quem convenit defleri.

1361. mvp-comment-717-1 ὥσπερ ἂν ζῶ Whatever my life may be. Cp. Hom. Od. 17. 586, οὐκ ἄφρων ὁ ξεῖνος δίεται, ὅσπερ ἂν εἴη. Some take ὡs in this place for ἕως (see Essay on Language § 28. p. 47), but such a use of ὥσπερ is inadmissible. As above rendered, the words have an obvious reference to 1357-1359, and to supr. 1625, 6, I ask not for your compassion; whether I live happily or miserably, I shall equally regard you as my murderer.

1361. mvp-comment-717-2 μεμνημένος is nominative by attraction to the relative clause.

1363. mvp-comment-718-1 ἐκ σέθεν In consequence of your acts. Essay on Language § 19. p. 28. According to Sophocles in this play, Polynices was the elder brother. Supr. 1295.

1365. mvp-comment-719-1 For the position of μή, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 78. 1370-1371. (1) (Reading οὗ τί πω) Therefore the Avenging eyes are upon τροφαὶ ΑR. thee, not indeed as they will be by-andby, if once those battalions move towards the town of Thebes. The curse of Oedipus is absolute: but its immediate execution depends on the action of Polynices. Antigone may be supposed to have these words in her mind when she entreats her brother to turn his army back. Infr. 1416 ff. The apodosis to which μέν looks forward (εἰσόψεται δέ) is absorbed in the relative clause, ὡς αὐτίκα, SC. εἰσόψεται. (2) Retaining που from L, and supposing ὡs to be pleonastic as in various adverbial expressions (cp. esp. El. 1452, ὡς ἐτητύμως: Phil. 58, πλεῖς δ᾽ ὡς πρὸς οἶκον), a different turn may perhaps be given to the expression. Therefore the eye of Heaven regards thee, I do not say for immediate vengeance, since these battalions are on their march to Thebes.' In this case Oedipus contrasts the proud advance of Polynices at the head of the Argive host (cp. Ant. 119 ff.) with his impending ruin. For this momentary suspension of the curse, cp. Phil. 961, ὅλοιο μή πω, κ.τ.λ. The deferred apodosis is resumed by implication in 1372 ff. εἴπερ, with the indicative, suits better with (2): if. as you tell me. This is a real example of tragic irony. In this case που is slightly better than πω, because assisting the ironical expression. Not, I suppose, for instant retribution, since your great host is still upon its way. ὡς αὐτίκα, sc. εἰσορῶν, i. e. κολάζων. In support of the above suggestion (2), it may be urged that αὐτίκα rarely opposes future time to present, though it is occasionally so used by Plato (Gorg. 459 C, Rep. 495 С).

1371. mvp-comment-720-1 οἵδε .. λόχοι Oedipus speaks as if he saw the army which Polynices has described. Cp. supr. 1326 ff.

1372-1373. mvp-comment-721-1 οὐ γάρ, κ.τ.λ. The town, I say, for there is one who shall never call Thebes his "city." In the edition of Turnebus, ἐρεῖ τις is changed to ἐρείψεις, on which Hermann justly remarks, Etiam si illa fortasse codicis alicuju alicujus scriptura est, non levis manet suspicio, ingenioso eam correctori potius quam ipsi poetae deberi, non quod ἐρείψεις gravius verbum sit quam expectes, aut quod κείνην addi non opus fuerit; in hujusmodi rebus enim non est argutandum: sed quod codicum et veterum editionum scriptura tantum abest ut sensu careat, ut propterea tantum, quia difficilior est, correctione opus habuisse videatur.' The interpretation of the passage turns on the associations surrounding the word πόλις. (Cp. supra 837, 858.) Oedipus, in speaking to Polynices of Thebes, avoids the word πόλις, and uses ἄστυ instead, because, as he says with a sort of angry logic, Thebes shall never more be a city to Polynices, who shall be ἄπολις Θήβης as he is ἀπάτωρ ἐμοῦ (1383). It is to be remembered that the words πόλις and πατρίς were used by Greeks with the same affection. ate familiarity, and the same consciousness of the privileges attaching to them, as the words πατήρ, μήτηρ, ἀδελφός, and the like. This is not equally the case with ἄστυ, which is rather the place, while πόλις is the commonwealth, furnished well with men. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 613, Π. ὦ πόλις. ΕΤ. μολὼν ἐς Ἄργος ἀνακάλει Λέρνης ὕδωρ. On the use of the indefinite for the second personal pronoun, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 36. It may be further observed, against the reading of Turnebus, that Oedipus, who is looking forward to the defeat of the Thebans at his grave, is not likely thus to emphasize the impregnable strength of their city.

1375. mvp-comment-722-1 τοιάσδ᾽ ἀράς Viz. the curse of mutual slaughter. Sophocles here returns to the old legend, which he had altered so as to give a dramatic and ethical propriety to the curse of Oedipus. See Introd. p. 269. The curse thus solemnly recalled is the original curse of the old story, and not a mere accidental utterance like that in supra 421, foll.

1376. mvp-comment-723-1 ἀνακαλοῦμαι I invoke them anew in my behalf. So in Eur. Suppl. 626, κεκλημένους μὲν ἀνακαλούμεθ᾽ αὖ θεούς.

1377. mvp-comment-724-1 ἵν᾿ ἀξιῶτον, κ.τ.λ. For similar language accompanying a threat, cp. Ant. 310, 311: Tr. 1110-1111.

1378. mvp-comment-725-1 καὶ μὴ ἐξατιμάζητον, εἰ And may not think it a light matter that ye have been such sons to your blind father.

1378. mvp-comment-725-2 ἀτιμάζειν c. inf. in Eur. 608-609, is to neglect a duty. Hence ἐξατιμάζειν here means to persist in making light of a sin. For the compound, cp. ἐξουδενίζω. See Essay on Language p. 101. The clause εἰ.. ἔφυτον is the object of the verb. For the ethical force of ei='to think that,' see Essay on Language § 28. p. 46.

1378. mvp-comment-725-3 τυφλοῦ πατρὸς τοιώδ᾽ ἔφυτον is condensed for τυφλοῦ πατρὸς φύντες ἐγένεσθον τοιώδε: i. e. When your father was blind, you proved so undutiful.

1379. mvp-comment-726-1 Ultima hujus versus verba αἵδε γὰρ τάδ᾽ οὐκ ἔδρων, hac simplicitate sua admirabilem habent planeque divinam vim tum ad magnitudinem doloris propter impietatem filiorum, tum ad caritatem, quam filiae meruerunt, declarandam.' Herm.

1380-1381. mvp-comment-727-1 Therefore they have power to frustrate thy supplication and thy claim upon the throne.' They, viz. (1) my curses,' which are the main subject, the reflection αΐδε ἔδρων being inserted parenthetically. For this, cp. Phil. 351, οὐ γὰρ εἰδόμην: 668, καὶ δόντι δοῦναι: 1034, αὕτη γὰρ ἦν σοι πρόφασις ἐκβαλεῖν ἐμέ: supra 280, φυγὴν δε του μήπω γενέσθαι φωτὸς ἀνοσίου βροτῶν. Otherwise (2), they, viz. the daughters, whose virtues justify the repulse of the son: sc. αὗται τοιαῦται γενόμεναι. But, although the verb is thus made to agree with the nearer subject, the words do not naturally bear this meaning. τὸ σὸν θάκημα has been interpreted to mean thine enthronement,' the whole line thus recalling the words of Polynices, supr. 1293, τοῖς σοῖς . . ἐνθακεῖν θρόνοις. But θάκημα has been used twice previously of the supplication of Polynices (11. 1160, 1179; cp. also 1163, 1166); and this meaning is here in point. Polynices has appealed not only to his right of primogeniture, but to the protection of Poseidon, from whose altar Theseus raised him with a solemn promise (supr. 1285-1290, 1293-1294). Оеdipus rejoins that both these claims are quashed by the righteousness of his paternal curse, which is justified by the filial ingratitude of both his sons, ap- 1380 1385 pearing still darker when contrasted with the piety of Antigone and Ismene.

1381-1382. mvp-comment-728-1 If the righteousness of which old legends tell presides in the immemorial rule of Zeus. Demosth. Ρ. 772-725, τὴν ἀπαραίτητον καὶ σεμνὴν Δίκην, ἣν ὁ τὰς ἁγιωτάτας ἡμῖν τελετὰς καταδείξας Ὀρφεὺς παρὰ τὸν τοῦ Διὸς θρόνον φησὶ καθημένην πάντα τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐφορᾶν. The latter part of the compound παλαιφάτουis subordinate, so that it is little more than παλαιοῦ, but with an association from φάτις, φήμη, cp. Τr. 823; Hes. Op. 257. The laws of Zeus are personified, like the νόμοι ἄγραφοι in O. T. 866. But the eternal laws are here imagined rather as ruling over events than as claiming the allegiance of the heart: in their retributive more than their directive aspect. Cp. Ant. 604, ff., τεάν, Ζεῦ, δύνασιν τίς ἀνδρῶν | ὑπερβασία κατάσχοι ; τὸ τ᾽ ἔπειτα καὶ τὸ μέλλον καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἐπαρκέσει | νόμος ὅδ'.

1383. mvp-comment-729-1 ἀπόπτυστος.. ἐμοῦ Disowned, ay, and abhorred by me. Essay on Language § 41. p. 78, B, b. ἐμοί, from ἐμοῦ following, is probably to be supplied with ἀπόπτυστος. For the genitive of respect after the privative, see Essay on Language § 10. p. 16.

1385. mvp-comment-730-1 ἅς σοι καλοῦμαι Which I invoke on thee. Cp. infr. 1389, 1391. The force of the middle voice here is to mark the intensely personal nature of the act: which I invoke on them from my very soul. In supr. 1376 it is rather, which being my own, I summon to my aid. σοι is dative of direct reference. Essay on Language § 12. p. 18.

1385. mvp-comment-730-2 γῆς ἐμφυλίου The land of thine own kin. The word marks the sacrilegious nature of Polynices' enterprise. Cp. αἷμ' ἐμφύλιον.

1387. mvp-comment-731-1 τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος The vale of Argos, as in supra 378. Cp. 1301, and Homer's κοίλην Λακεδαίμονα.

1387-1388. mvp-comment-732-1 συγγενεῖ χερὶ . . ἐξελήλασαι] i. e. With brother's hand to slay and to be slain.' συγγενεῖ χερί and ὑφ' οὗπερ ἐξελήλασαι belong equally to both the infinitives. The phrase ὑφ' οὗπερ ἐξελήλασαι is a formal amplification, giving greater solemnity. For the legend, see Pind. Isthm. 7. (6.) 10.

1389-1390. mvp-comment-733-1 And I invoke the hated gloom of the abyss to carry thee away to his place. πατρῷον is obscure. Either (1), there is an allusion to the curse upon the Labdacidae, I invoke on thee the horrid gloom of Erebus, thy sole inheritance from our sire: or (2) simply, where my father is: or (3), πατρῷος is used as an epithet of Tartarus, to mark off a special function; cp. ZΖεὺς ξένιος, ἱκετήσιος, etc. The gloom of the nethermost abyss, that avenges fathers.The dreadful hell that waits upon a father's curse.' Taken either way πατρῷον conveys more of horror than Nauck's κάτωθεν, or Meineke's στυγνοπρόσωπον. Τάρταρος, like Όλυμπος, is less definite in Sophocles than in earlier poetry. 1395

1389. mvp-comment-734-1 τό τοῦ LA.

1389. mvp-comment-734-2 τοὺσ-ουσ Β Vat.

1389. mvp-comment-734-3 ἐμβεβληκότα ἐ(κ?)βεβληκότα LL². ἐμ1393. κἀξάγγελλ' κἐξάγγελ' Α.

1391. mvp-comment-735-1 τάσδε δαίμονας Oedipus invokes the Eumenides against Polynices, as against Creon supr. 1010 ff., rather as his patron deities than in their primary character as Erinyes. See Introd. p. 281, and contrast Ajax' invocation of the same deities, Aj. 843.

1391. mvp-comment-735-2 Ἄρη The God of strife and destruction, who in Sophocles is often regarded as an evil power. Cp. O. T. 190.

1392. mvp-comment-736-1 For δεινόν, cp. supr. 336.

1397. mvp-comment-737-1 οὔτε.. ξυνήδομαι For the indirect mode of expression, see Essay on Language § 42. p. 72, and cp. Eur. Med. 136, οὐδὲ συνήδομαι, ὦ γύναι, ἄλγεσι δώματος.

1397. mvp-comment-737-2 ταῖς παρελθούσαις ὁδοῖς By reason of your journies hitherto; with special reference to the journey to Argos: supr. 378. See Essay on Language § 14. p. 21, § 51. p. 96.

1399. mvp-comment-738-1 κελεύθου For my coming hither. For τῆς ἐμῆς only expressed in the second member of the clause, see Essay on Language § 21. p. 33. b.

1399. mvp-comment-738-2 δυσπραξίας refers especially to the failure of his present mission, in which he is worse than ἄπρακτος.

1400. mvp-comment-739-1 Cp. Pind. Isthm. 6. (7). 10, quoted on l. 1076. οἷον ἄρ᾽ ὁδοῦ τέλος | Ἄργους ἀφωρμήθημεν] The accusative τέλος may be accounted for in one of two ways: either (1) as the accusative of motion transferred to time, or (2) as an accusative in apposition with the action of the verb expressing the result of the action. The latter is probably right. We set forth from Argos, with what a consummation of our enterprise!' Essay on Language § 16. p. 22, § 17. p. 25.

1400. mvp-comment-739-2 ὁδοῦ ie. The whole march from Argos to Thebes. Cp. infr. 1439-1440.

1402. mvp-comment-740-1 The words τοιοῦτον, κ.τ.λ. are epexegetic of olov in l. 1400.

1403. mvp-comment-741-1 οὐδ᾽ ἀποστρέψαι πάλιν Cp. infr. 1416. The sentence has passed out of the construction with olov. The object of ἀποστρέψαι is easily supplied. Cp. Hdt. 4. 43, ἀποστρέψας ὀπίσω, ἀπέπλεε.

1404. mvp-comment-742-1 ἀλλ᾽ ὄντ᾿ ἄναυδον, κ.τ.λ. The positive notion is here elicited from the negative (see Essay on Language p. 64); i. e. these words depend on χρή implied in οὐκ ἔξεστι. Cp. esp. O. T. 816-818.

1405. mvp-comment-743-1 ὦ τοῦδ᾽ ὅμαιμοι παῖδες O my own sisters, daughters of this my father. Against explaining τοῦδε as = ἐμοῦ, it is enough to urge that there is no other instance in Sophocles in which this pronoun stands alone for the first person. In the only two places where it is so used substantively (Tr. 305, τῆσδε, 1012, τῷδε) it is immediately followed by a participle in agreement with it. In ὅμαιμοι there is no reference (as in ὦ σπέρμ᾽ ὅμαιμον, 331) to the incestuous birth, an allusion which, though in character with Oedipus, supr. 328, would not be in character with Polynices here. Cp. infr. 1772: Ant. 512-513.

1406. mvp-comment-744-1 κλύετε †τοῦδ᾽ ἀρωμένου τοῦδε occurs three times in these three lines, and ταῦτα seems to be required to complete τὰ σκληρά. It may seem justifiable therefore to read ταῦτ᾽ for τοῦδ' in this line. But it may be observed that a certain amount of iteration of the dominant thought is natural to the broken language of such an entreaty. See esp. ll. 1407-1409. and cp. Phil. 473 ff. The thought of his father has a terrible fascination for Polynices at this moment.

1407. mvp-comment-745-1 *ἐάν The a is long here and in Aristoph. Vesp. 228. It is strange that car should occur so seldom before a vowel.

1408. mvp-comment-746-1 Cp. infr. 1769 ff.

1410. mvp-comment-747-1 But yourselves lay me in the tomb, and afford me funeral rites.' ἐν κτερίσμασιν is placed in construction with θέσθε in a slightly different sense, = περιστείλατε κτερίσμασιν. See Essay on Language pp. 60, 65, 2. The middle voice in θέσθε is subjective, i. e. it emphasises the personal nature of the action: θέσθε, i. e. προθυμήθητε θεῖναι. Essay on Language § 31. P. 53.

1411. mvp-comment-748-1 And the praise you now receive from him for your labours in his behalf shall have added unto it another praise moreover for the service done to me.' For the turn of expression, cp. O.T. 666-667, τάδ᾽ εἰ κακοῖς κακὰ ἡ γῆ) προσάψει τοῖς πάλαι τὰ πρὸς σφῷν. And for the use of φέρω, Αj. 293, γυναιξὶ κόσμον ἡ σιγὴ φέρει.

1412. mvp-comment-749-1 τοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρός is, ist, genitive of origin, You receive from him:' but, 2nd, suggests the object of πονεῖτον, sc. τῷδε or ὑπὲρ τοῦδε. οἷς = τούτοις ἅ: By reason of your labours.'

1413. mvp-comment-750-1 ἔτ᾿ ἄλλον οἴσει Cp. Tr. 618-619, ὅπως ἂν ἡ χάρις κείνου τε σοι | κἀμοῦ ξυνελθοῦσ᾽, ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ φανῇ.

1413. mvp-comment-750-2 τῆς ἐμῆς ὑπουργίας ‘By reason of, etc. Essay on Language § 10. p. 15.

1414. mvp-comment-751-1 The two trisyllabic feet coming together at the beginning of the line produce a singular effect, corresponding to the trembling eagerness of Antigone.

1415. mvp-comment-752-1 Some MSS. have ὦ φιλτάτη μοι ποῖον, which Hermann admitted. But if Par. A. has preserved the true reading, μοι was not unlikely to be conjectured to supply the syllable which was lost in L. On the other hand, μοι expresses greater tenderness. But in a point of such uncertainty, even a slight MS. preponderance must be allowed to determine the text.

1416. mvp-comment-753-1 γε, qualifying the whole sentence, marks the earnestness of the entreaty. Essay on Language § 26. р. 44. Meineke conj. σε. In this case στρέψαι is infin. active. As the text stands, it is either (1) infin. active (for imperative), or (2) imperative middle, i. e. στρέψον τὸ στράτευμά σου.

1418. mvp-comment-754-1 For how, if I once falter, can I again lead the same army the same way?᾽ αὖθις, another time, πάλιν, back to Thebes. Some would read ἄν for aὖ. This is unnecessary, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 45, (2), and gives av an awkward position, but makes no difference to the sense. Antigone meant Give up the expedition. But this idea can find no entrance to Polynices' mind. He only thinks of the possibility of a temporary yielding, like that of a general who meets with some unfavourable omen. And against this he argues, I cannot go back now, for if I did, my attempt falls through entirely. I could no longer command the army, which must sooner or later be led by me against Thebes.

1420. mvp-comment-755-1 But why need you again suffer your wrath to rise? Antigone vainly tries to reason against the fixed idea in Polynices' mind, and assumes that his passion may cool, and not be kindled again. αὖθις echoes αὖθις in 1418.

1422. mvp-comment-756-1 It is ignominious to be in exile, and that I, the elder-born, should be a laughing-stock to my brother, as I now am. Cp. supra 1339.

1424. mvp-comment-757-1 Seest thou, then, how his prophecies advance unchecked to their certain end? Vides ergo ut hujus vaticinia ad eventum ruunt.' (Herm.) ἐκφέρεις, the conjecture of Tyrwhitt, certainly deserves notice, and is supported by Pind. Nem. 4. 60, 1, ἄλαλκε δὲ Χείρων, καὶ τὸ μόρσιμον Διόθεν πεπρωμένον ἔκφερεν. But the image of the prophecy moving on steadily to the event is more impressive. For the absolute use of ἐκφέρει, cp. Tr. 824, ὁπότε τελεόμηνος ἐκφέροι | δωδέκατος ἄροτος.

1425. mvp-comment-758-1 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν From your mutual hands. Cp. supr. 1387, and note.

1426. mvp-comment-759-1 The existence of a verb χρήζω from χράω, suggested by the scholiast here, is questionable. See Eur. Hel. 516. At all events, the common meaning of χρήζει is suitable here. Antigone speaks of the curse of Oedipus as a prophecy: Polynices avoids her inference by arguing that it would be weak to yield to a mere outburst of wilfulness. He speaks his wish; but it does not become me to give way. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 928, σὺ θὴν ἃ χρήζεις, ταῦτ᾽ ἐπιγλωσσᾷ Διός.

1427-1428. mvp-comment-760-1 τίς .. τἀνδρός On the order of words, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 77.

1429. mvp-comment-761-1 οὐδ᾽ ἀγγελούμεν (1) But we will not tell. δé adversative, arguing against the suggestion of Antigone. Or, (2) οὐδὲ ἀγγελοῦμεν, We will not even report bad news, i. e. and so they will not act upon them. For the thought in ἐπεὶ .. λέγειν, cp. the exhortation of Nicias to his men at Syracuse, Thuc. 7. 61.

1432. mvp-comment-762-1 Polynices contrasts the bitter business before him with what he hopes will be the lot of Antigone and Ismene.

1433-1434. mvp-comment-763-1 Rendered ill-starred and disastrous by this my father and his avenging spirit. For πρός, cp. Ant. 51, πρὸς αὐτοφώρων ἀμπλακημάτων. Polynices here, and supra 1299, speaks in the Homeric manner of his father's Erinyes, without any reference to the Erinyes at whose sacred place he is standing. Cp. supr. 1391 and note.

1435. mvp-comment-764-1 σφῷν δ᾽ εὐοδοίη Ζεύς ‘But for you may Zeus prepare a prosperous way.' Cp. Hdt. 6. 73, ὡς τῷ Κλεομένεϊ εὐωδώθη τὸ ἐς τὸν Δημάρητον πρήγμα, which shows that εὐοδόω is properly followed by the dative of the person as well as the accusative of the thing. In the present case an accusative (e.g. τὸν βίον, τὰ πράγματα) is easily supplied. Hence the correction σφώ is unnecessary, and the conjecture εὖ διδοίη, besides being unnecessary, destroys a beautiful image, and the connection with 1432.

1436. mvp-comment-765-1 θανόντ' To avoid the unusual elision of of the dative, this has been explained as an accusative, by a change of construction; cp. El. 479, ὕπεστί μοι θράσος ἁδυπνόων κλύουσαν ἀρτίως ὀνειράτων: Aesch. Pers. 913-914, λέλυται γὰρ ἐμοὶ γυίων ῥώμη | τήνδ᾽ ἡλικίαν ἐσιδόντ᾽ ἀστῶν: Choeph. 410, πέπαλται δ᾽ αὐτέ μοι φίλον κέαρ τόνδε κλύουσαν οἶκτον. But it should probably be admitted that here and in Trach. 677, ἀργῆτ' οἰὸς εὐείρῳ πόκῳ, there is an elision of the 1, as well as in Eur. Alc. 1118. Γοργόν᾽ ὡς καρατόμῳ, where however the conj. карато- μῶν in not improbable, and in any case the licence is taken with a proper name. After θανόντι some general word like ὑπουργεῖν is to be supplied from τάδ' εἰ τελεῖτε.

1436. mvp-comment-765-2 ἐπεὶ οὔ μοι ζῶντί γ'] Not τάδε τελεῖν, but some more general notion of paying the tribute of affection, is to be supplied. The inexactness of this is similar to that noticed in 1410. Elmsley's conjecture, οὐ μὴ ζῶντά γ᾽ αὖθις ἕξετον is therefore unnecessary, as 1440. Cp. Pind. Nem. 9. 21, speaking of the same expedition, φαινομέναν δ' ἄρ᾽ ἐς ἄταν σπεῦδεν ὅμιλος ἱκέσθαι (because of the adverse omens at their setting forth): Aesch. Prom. 1073-1074, 5, μηδέποτ' εἴπηθ᾽ | ὡς Ζεὺς ὑμᾶς εἰς ἀπρόοπτον | πῆμ᾽ εἰσέβαλεν.

1443. mvp-comment-766-1 εἴ σου στερηθῶ For the subjunctive with el, see Essay on L § 27. p. 44. Here the supposition is more definite than with ei and the optative, and more general than with ἐάν and the subjunctive, and the form of expression is therefore more suited to the expression of intense feeling.

1443. mvp-comment-766-2 ταῦτα .. χἀτέρᾳ But this is in the power of God, and may come to pass either in this way, or in some other. It rests with the Divinity that shapes our ends.Cp. Shak. Hamlet, 5. 2, Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the falling of a sparrow:' Hom. Il. 12. 235-243.

1444. mvp-comment-767-1 For φῦναι, cp. Αj. 646-647, ἅπανθ' ὁ .. χρόνος | φύει τ' ἄδηλα καὶ φανέντα κρύπτεται.

1444-1445. mvp-comment-768-1 For you I pray to heaven that ye may never encounter woe.' The conjectures κακόν (Triclinius), and σφώ (Scaliger and Elmsley), are both unnecessary. Of the two, that of Triclinius is the more probable, = ' I pray that evil may never cross your path.' For κακόν, cp. Phil. 446.

1446. mvp-comment-769-1 For all may see that ye deserve no ill.'