Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 252

mvp-comment-82-1 παρηγγύα ¹

mvp-comment-83-1 ἢ σεισμόν, ἢ βροντήν τιν’ ²

mvp-comment-84-1 ἔγνωκα μὲν ³

mvp-comment-84-2 τήνδε τὴν ὁδὸν ⁴

mvp-comment-85-1 οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὅπως οὐ ⁵

mvp-comment-85-2 πτερὸν ⁶

mvp-comment-86-1 ἐξήγαγ’ ⁸

mvp-comment-86-2 οὐ γὰρ ἄν ⁹

mvp-comment-87-1 νήφων ἀοίνοις ¹⁰

mvp-comment-88-1 ἀσκέπαρνον ¹¹

mvp-comment-89-1 βίου … πέρασιν … καὶ καταστροφήν τινα ¹²

mvp-comment-89-2 ὀμφὰς ¹³

mvp-comment-90-1 μειόνως ἔχειν ¹⁴

mvp-comment-91-1 μόχθοις λατρεύων ¹⁵

mvp-comment-92-1 ἴτ’ ¹⁶

mvp-comment-92-2 γλυκεῖαι ¹⁷

mvp-comment-92-3 Σκότου ¹⁸

mvp-comment-93-1 Παλλάδος ¹⁹

mvp-comment-94-1 εἴδωλον ²⁰

mvp-comment-94-2 οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γ’ ²¹

mvp-comment-95-1 The grove being close to the village, the man of the place has done his errand quickly, and the elders of Colonus are already heard approaching (cp. 78 ).

mvp-comment-96-1 χρόνῳ ²²

mvp-comment-96-2 ἐπίσκοποι ²³

mvp-comment-97-1 καὶ σύ μ’ ἐξ ὁδοῦ πόδα κρύψον ²⁴

mvp-comment-98-1 τῶνδ’ … ἐκμάθω τίνας λόγους ἐροῦσιν ²⁵

mvp-comment-99-1 ἐν γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν ²⁶

mvp-comment-100-1 τῶν ποιουμένων ²⁷

mvp-comment-101-1 ὅρα ²⁸

mvp-comment-101-2 τίς ἄρ’ ἦν; ²⁹

mvp-comment-101-3 ναίει ³¹

mvp-comment-102-1 ἐκτόπιος ³²

mvp-comment-103-1 ἀκορέστατος ³³

mvp-comment-104-1 This verse is corrupt in the MSS., but two things seem clear: (1) there is no reason to suspect προσδέρκου : (2) the singular λεῦσσε must be restored, and placed after προσδέρκου . The antistrophic verse (153) is

. A long syllable is then wanted to complete the verse προσδέρκου, λεῦσσε . Hermann's νιν has been generally adopted. But λεῦσσε νιν could only mean " see him": not, " look for him": λεύσσειν τινά could not stand for ζητεῖν τινα . The MS. αὐτὸν was prob. a gloss which came in after προσδέρκου and λεῦσσε had been transposed; and the plur. λεύσσετε may have arisen from λεῦσσε δή . In 135 ὅν is governed by γνῶναι , not by λεύσσων : and in Aesch. Eum. 255 ( v.l. ), the sense is, "scan all the ground." Cp. Ai. 890 ("'tis cruel," the Chorus say, baffled in their quest) .

mvp-comment-105-1 προσπεύθου ³⁴

mvp-comment-106-1 πλανάτας ³⁵

mvp-comment-107-1 προσέβα γὰρ οὐκ ἄν ³⁶

mvp-comment-108-1 ἄλσος ἐς ³⁷

mvp-comment-109-1 ἀμαιμακετᾶν ³⁸

mvp-comment-110-1 καὶ παραμειβόμεσθ’ κ.τ.λ. ³⁹

mvp-comment-110-2 τὸ τᾶς ἐφάμου στόμα φροντίδος ἱέντες ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-111-1 ἀφώνως ⁴¹

mvp-comment-112-1 After ἱέντες we may place either (1) a point,—making τὰ δὲ νῦν begin a new sentence: or (2) merely a comma,— taking

(129) as still the object to ἅζονθ’ : (1) is best.

mvp-comment-113-1 οὐδὲν ⁴²

mvp-comment-114-1 ὃν ⁴³

mvp-comment-115-1 μοι ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-115-2 ναίει ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-116-1 ἐκεῖνος ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-116-2 φωνῇ γὰρ ὁρῳ ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-117-1 ὁρᾶν, κλύειν ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-118-1 προσίδητ’ ἄνομον ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-119-1 The hiatus allows Ζεῦ to be short.

mvp-comment-119-2 ἀλεξῆτορ ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-120-1 οὐ πάνυ μοίρας πρώτης ⁵¹

mvp-comment-120-2 πρώτης ⁵²

mvp-comment-120-3 οὐ πάνυ ⁵³

mvp-comment-121-1 ἔφοροι ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-122-1 δηλῶ δ’ ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-122-2 ἀλλοτρίοις ὄμμ ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-123-1 Oedipus is indeed old and worn (110) : but μέγας contrasts the man of mature age with the girl, his defenceless guide (752) . Cp. Od. 2.313 (Telemachus)

( full-grown ).

mvp-comment-123-2 σμικροῖς ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-123-3 ὥρμουν ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-124-1 ἐή ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-124-2 ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-125-1 φυτάλμιος ⁶¹

mvp-comment-126-1 =120

. In regard to L's reading, μακραίων τέ θ’ ⁶² ὡς ἐπεικάσαι, note these points: (1) ὡς is wrong, as the metre shows, (2) τ’ is certainly right. We should not read, with Campb., δυσαίων; μακραίων τις, ἐπεικάσαι , because the thought turns on the linking of δυσαίων with μακραίων , the chief stress falling (as oft. in Greek) on the second: thou art old as well as hapless: i.e. thou hast borne thy woes long. (3) ἔθ’ may, I think, be rejected, as too weak. (4) How, then, is the short syllable to be supplied? ( a ) We might read;— μακραίων θ’, ὅσ’ ἐπεικάσαι: cp. Thuc. 6.25 , ( b ) μακραίων τέ τις , εἰκάσαι: cp. O. T. 82 . I prefer ( a ), since all MSS. have ἐπεικάσαι .

mvp-comment-127-1 (

mvp-comment-127-2 μάν ⁶³

mvp-comment-127-3 προσθήσει ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-128-1 περᾷς ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-129-1 ἀλλ’ ἵνα … μὴ προπέσῃς ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-129-2 προπέσῃς ἐν νάπει ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-129-3 ἀφθέγκτῳ ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-130-1 οὗ κάθυδρος κρατὴρ συντρέχει ῥεύματι μειλιχίων ποτῶν ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-130-2 μειλιχίων π. ⁷¹

mvp-comment-130-3 συντρέχει ⁷²

mvp-comment-131-1 The τῶν of L and most MSS. cannot be right. To be on one's guard against a thing is always φυλάσσομαί τι , never τινος . In Thuc. 4.11

= acting cautiously on account of the ships (where Classen cp.

χαλεπῶς φέρειν τινός,

1. 77 ): in Aesch. PV 390

τούτου φυλάσσου μήποτ’ ἀχθεσθῇ κέαρ

, join . The v.l. points to τό , which in this parenthetic warning= ( ) rather than ὅ . τόν (referring to ) is less good; and τῷ ("wherefore") would be weak.

mvp-comment-132-1 ἐρατυ^/ει ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-133-1 οἴσεις ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-133-2 φέρειν λόγον πρὸς ἐμὰν λέσχαν ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-134-1 ἀβάτων ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-135-1 ἵνα πᾶσι νόμος ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-136-1 ἀπερύκου ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-137-1 ποῖ τις φροντίδος ἔλθῃ ⁸¹

mvp-comment-137-2 ἔλθῃ ⁸²

mvp-comment-138-1 ἀστοῖς ἴσα χρὴ μελετᾶν ⁸³

mvp-comment-139-1 Since κἀκούοντας suits both metre and sense, it seems more likely that this was the reading from which, by a scribe's mistake, κοὐκ ἀκούοντας arose, than that

conceals some other participle (such as or ). It is hard to see why Herm. thought the to be necessary here,—common though it is (see on O. T. 58

γνωτὰ κοὐκ ἄγνωτα

). After χρὴ μελετᾶν , too, we should expect , not ; the latter supposes that and its partic. form one word. κοὐκ ἄκοντας (B and Campbell) would mean, —surely a weak sense. The existence of this as the only v.l. confirms κἀκούοντας .

mvp-comment-140-1 καὶ δή ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-141-1 μὴ … ἀδικηθῶ ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-142-1 σοὶ ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-143-1 τῶνδ’ ἑδράνων ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-144-1 ἄξει ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-145-1 L's ἔτ’ οὖν ἔτι προβῶ; metrically answers to

in 194 . The choice seems to lie between ἔτ’ οὖν; and προβῶ; The latter might easily have been added to explain the former: and ἔτ’ οὖν is not too abrupt, since πρόσθιγέ νύν μου (173) has already marked the beginning of his forward movement. ἔτι βαῖνε seems better than ἐπίβαινε in the case of a blind man advancing step by step , and asking at each step whether he has come far enough. This is well expressed by For before , cp. Ant. 612

το— πρίν

.

mvp-comment-146-1 After ἀΐεις three verses have been lost (the 1st and 3rd for Ant., the 2nd for Oed.), answering to 197 πάτερ — 199 ἅρμοσαι : and after ᾇ σ’ ἄγω (183) a verse for Oed. answering to 202

. See Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-147-1 μάν ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-147-2 ὧδ’ ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-147-3 ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ ⁹¹

mvp-comment-148-1 τόλμα … σέβεσθαι ⁹²

mvp-comment-148-2 ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης ⁹³

mvp-comment-149-1 ὦ τλάμων ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-150-1 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-151-1 ἄν ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-151-2 εἴποιμεν … ἀκούσαιμεν ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-151-3 ἄν ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-151-4 εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-152-1 καὶ μὴ χρ. πολ. ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-153-1 αὐτοῦ ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-153-2 αὐτοπέτρου βήματος ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-154-1 πόδα κλίνῃς ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-155-1 ἦ ἑσθῶ; ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-155-2 λέχριός γ’ … ὀκλάσας ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-155-3 βραχὺς ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-155-4 ἄκρου ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-155-5 λᾶος ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-156-1 ἐμὸν τόδ’ ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-157-1 δύσφρονος ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-158-1 τλάμων ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-158-2 χαλᾷς ¹¹²

mvp-comment-159-1 τίς ὁ πολ. ¹¹³

mvp-comment-159-2 τίν’ ἂν … πατρίδ’ ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-160-1 Oed. replies to their second question by ἀπόπτολις , which is almost an exclamation; — "I have no πατρίς now": he deprecates their first question ( τίς ἄγει; ) altogether. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1410 (the Argive elders to Clytaemnestra)

. Soph. has ἀπόπτολις in O. T. 1000 (dialogue) and Tr. 647 (lyr.). Cp. 1357.

mvp-comment-161-1 μή, μή μ’ ἀνέρῃ ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-162-1 Wunder's correction of the MS. δεινὰ to αἰνὰ is required by the Ionic measure ( uu | - uu ): see Metr. Analysis.

mvp-comment-162-2 φύσις ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-163-1 γεγώνω ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-163-2 τίνος εἶ σπέρματος ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-163-3 πατρόθεν ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-164-1 τί πάθω … ; ¹²¹

mvp-comment-165-1 ἐπ’ ἔσχατα βαίνεις ¹²²

mvp-comment-166-1 Hermann's μέλλετον (for the MS. μέλλετ’ ) is fitting, since Oed. and Ant. have just been speaking together; and is clearly better than μέλλετέ γ’ (Triclinius) or μέλλομεν (suggested by Elms.). The sing. τάχυνε rightly follows, since it is from Oed. alone that a reply is sought.

mvp-comment-166-2 μακρὰ ¹²³

mvp-comment-167-1 Λαΐου ἴστε τιν’ ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-168-1 The family patronymic was taken from Labdacus (the father of Laïus), though the line was traced directly up to Cadmus, father of Polydorus and grandfather of Labdacus ( O. T. 267 ; Her. 5.59 ).

mvp-comment-169-1 The relat. clause ὅσ’ αὐδῶ is most simply taken as representing an accus., governed by δέος ἴσχετε μηδὲν as= μὴ δειμαίνετε (rather than a genitive depending on δέος ): Tr. 996

: Dem. De Fals. Legat. § 81

ὅ γε δῆμος ὁ τῶν Φωκέων οὕτω κακῶς...διάκειται, ὥστε...τεθνάναι τῷ φόβῳ...τοὺς Φιλίππου ξένους

: Aesch. Theb. 289

μέριμναι ζωπυροῦσι τάρβος ¹²⁵

τὸν ἀμφιτειχῆ λεών

: Eur. Ion 572

τοῦτο κἄμ’ ἔχει πόθος

. Cp. below, 583

, 1120

. In such instances the acc. might also, however, be taken as one of "respect."

mvp-comment-170-1 The MSS. give the one word δυσμορος to Oed., as uttered by him between the exclamations of the Chorus. It thus marks his despair at their refusal to hear him. There is dramatic force in the sentence of expulsion (226) being the first articulate utterance of the Chorus after the disclosure which has appalled them.

mvp-comment-171-1 ποῖ καταθήσεις; ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-172-1 οὐδενὶ μοιριδία τίσις ἔρχεται ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-172-2 ὧν ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-172-3 With Wunder's ἃν some construe:— οὐδενὶ τὸ τίνειν ἃ ἂν προπάθῃ ἔρχεται μοιριδία τίσις , "for no one retaliation becomes (= γίγνεται ) a fate-doomed punishment": but could the τίσις itself thus stand for the cause of the τίσις ? The ὧν of the MSS. is confirmed by other passages where, instead of an acc. governed by the infin., we have a gen. depending on another word, and then the infin. added epexegetically: El. 542

: Plat. Crito 52B

οὐδ’ ἐπιθυμία σε ἄλλης πόλεως οὐδ’ ἄλλων νόμων ἔλαβεν εἰδέναι

: Rep. 443 B

ἀρχόμενοι τῆς πόλεως οἰκίζειν

.

mvp-comment-173-1 ἀπάτα δ’ ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-173-2 ἀπάτα ἑτέρα ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-173-3 παραβαλλ ¹³²

mvp-comment-174-1 ἑδράνων ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-175-1 χρέος … προσάψῃς ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-176-1 αἰδόφρονες ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-176-2 ἀλλ’ ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-176-3 This whole

of Antigone (237 — 253) , with the tetrastichon of the Chorus (254 — 257) , was rejected by some of the ancient critics, acc. to the schol. on L: But, as the schol. rightly adds, it is natural and graceful that an appeal to pity ( ),— which the daughter makes,—should precede the father's appeal to reason ( ). The schol. further remarks that Didymus ( circ. 30 B.C. ) had not obelized any part of the passage. This is important, as making it most improbable that the rested on the absence of these verses from the older Alexandrian copies. Though the text is doubtful in some points, the internal evidence cannot be said to afford any good ground for suspicion.

mvp-comment-177-1 γεραὸν … ἐμὸν ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-178-1 ἀκόντων ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-178-2 ἀΐοντες αὐδάν ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-178-3 ἔργων ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-179-1 ἀλλ’ ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-180-1 Hermann's τοὐμοῦ μόνου (for the MS. τοῦ μόνου ) is metrically right, but μόνου can hardly be sound. It must mean (1) "for my father alone" (and not for my own sake): not (2) "lonely, as he is": nor (3) "for my own father" (Campbell's view, which I do not comprehend). ΤΟΥΜΟΝΟΥ may have come from ΤΟΥΔΑΘΛΙΟΥ (Mekler), but

in 246 is against this (see, however, on 554 ). Perhaps τοῦδ’ ἀμμόρου .

mvp-comment-181-1 οὐκ ἀλαοῖς ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-181-2 προσορωμένα ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-182-1 ὥς τις ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-183-1 ἐν ὔμμι κείμεθα ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-183-2 κείμεθα ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-184-1 νεύσατε ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-184-2 τὰν ἀδόκητον χάριν ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-185-1 πρός ς’ ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-186-1 ἢ χρέος ἢ θεός ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-187-1 ἀθρῶν ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-188-1 ἄγοι ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-190-1 τὰ δ’ ἐκ θεῶν ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-191-1 For τῶν as 1st syll. of 3rd foot cp. Ant. 95

.

mvp-comment-192-1 ῥεούσης ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-193-1 εἰ ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-193-2 θεοσεβεστάτας ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-194-1 μόνας ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-194-2 τὸν κακούμενον ξένον ¹⁶⁰

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

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 ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-195-2 οἵας τε ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-196-1 κἄμοιγε ποῦ ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-196-2 καί ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-196-3 οἵτινες ¹⁶⁵

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

).

mvp-comment-197-2 τάδε βάθρα ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-198-1 οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γε ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-199-1 ἐπεὶ … ἔξοιδα ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-200-1 πεπονθότ’ … δεδρακότα ¹⁶⁹

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 (

), or incurred moral guilt? Before I struck my father, he had struck me ( : see O. T. 809 ). Even if I had been aware ( ) 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 , which could not apply to the incest, limits the reference of to the parricide; while ( 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)

. 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 ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-204-1 ὑφ’ ὧν δ’ ἔπασχον ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-204-2 ἔπασχον ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-205-1 ὥσπερ με κἀνεστής ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-206-1 θεοὺς … τοὺς θεοὺς ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-207-1 μοίραις ποεῖσθε ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-207-2 ποεῖσθε ¹⁷⁷

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

, 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 ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-209-2 φωτὸς … βροτῶν ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-210-1 ξὺν οἷς ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-210-2 μὴ κάλυπτε ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-210-3 τὰς εὐδαίμονας ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-211-1 ἔλαβες ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-211-2 τὸν ἱκέτην ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-211-3 ἐχέγγυον ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-212-1 ἐκφύλασσε ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-213-1 δυσπρόσοπτον ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-214-1 ἱερός ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-214-2 εὐσεβής ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-214-3 φέρων | ὄνησιν ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-215-1 ὁ κύριος … τις ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-216-1 τὰ δὲ μεταξὺ τούτου ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-216-2 τὰ ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-217-1 τἀπὸ σοῦ ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-218-1 ὠνόμασται ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-218-2 βραχέσι ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-219-1 ἄνακτας ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-219-2 διειδέναι ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-220-1 The

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 ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-221-2 ἔχει ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-221-3 σκοπὸς ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-222-1 κἀμὲ ²⁰²

mvp-comment-222-2 ἔπεμψεν ²⁰³

mvp-comment-222-3 στελῶν ²⁰⁴

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

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 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

.

mvp-comment-225-1 καὶ κάρθ’ ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-226-1 κέλευθος ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-227-1 πλανᾶσθαι ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-227-2 τῶν ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-228-1 θάρσει, παρέσται ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-228-2 πολὺ ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-229-1 κεἰ βραδὺς εὕδει ²¹²

mvp-comment-229-2 εὕδω ²¹³

mvp-comment-229-3 βραδύς ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-230-1 κλύων σοῦ ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-231-1 τίς γὰρ ἐσθλός ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-232-1 τίλέξω ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-232-2 ποῖ φρενῶν ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-233-1 τί δ’ ἔστι; ²²⁰

mvp-comment-234-1 Αἰτναίας … πώλου ²²¹

mvp-comment-234-2 Αἰτναίας ²²²

mvp-comment-235-1 κρατὶ ²²³

mvp-comment-235-2 Θεσσαλὶς κυνῆ ²²⁴

mvp-comment-236-1 πρόσωπα ²²⁵

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

mvp-comment-237-2 πλανᾷ ²²⁶

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

mvp-comment-238-2 τί φῶ ²²⁸

mvp-comment-239-1 φαιδρὰ ²²⁹

mvp-comment-239-2 σαίνει με ²³⁰

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

). 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 ²³³

mvp-comment-242-1 δεύτερον ²³⁴

mvp-comment-242-2 λύπῃ ²³⁵

mvp-comment-243-1 ὁρᾶν ²³⁶

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

as meaning, "I too am linked in this unhappy circle": adding that 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 ( ) after v. 329 ( ). Wecklein places v. 328 ( ) after v. 329 . Neither of these changes is hurtful; but neither appears necessary.

mvp-comment-245-1 ὦ δυσάθλιαι τροφαί ²³⁷

mvp-comment-245-2 ὅμαιμον ²³⁸

mvp-comment-246-1 σῇ ²³⁹

mvp-comment-247-1 πότερα ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-247-2 πόθοισι ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-247-3 λόγων αὐτάγγ ²⁴²

mvp-comment-248-1 ξὺν ᾧπερ … μόνῳ ²⁴³

mvp-comment-249-1 πονεῖν ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-249-2 ποῦ ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-250-1 οὗπέρ εἰσι ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-250-2 τανῦν ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-251-1 Αἰγύπτῳ ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-252-1 φύσιν ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-252-2 τροφάς ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-253-1 ἱστουργοῦντες ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-254-1 τἄξω βίου τροφεῖα ²⁵³

mvp-comment-255-1 σφῷν δ’ ²⁵⁴

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 ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-256-3 ὥστε ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-256-4 παρθένοι ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-257-1 τἀμὰ δυστήνου ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-258-1 νέας τροφῆς ἔληξε ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-258-2 κατίσχυσεν ²⁶²

mvp-comment-259-1 γερονταγωγεῖ ²⁶³

mvp-comment-260-1 νηλίπους ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-261-1 ἡγεῖται ²⁶⁶

mvp-comment-261-2 τὰ τῆς ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-262-1 εἰ … ἔχοι ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-262-2 τροφὴν ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-263-1 μαντεῖα πάντα ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-264-1 τοῦδε σώματος ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-264-2 φύλαξ δέ μοι ²⁷²

mvp-comment-264-3 μοι ²⁷³

mvp-comment-265-1 στόλος ²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-266-1 μὴ οὐχὶ … φέρουσα ²⁷⁵

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 ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-269-1 ἀμφὶ … παίδοιν ²⁷⁷

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 ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-270-3 Κρέοντί τε ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-270-4 Paley's

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 , 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 ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-271-2 πόλιν ²⁸¹

mvp-comment-272-1 λόγῳ ²⁸²

mvp-comment-272-2 τὴν πάλαι … φθοράν ²⁸³

mvp-comment-273-1 κἀλιτηρίου ²⁸⁵

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

, "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 ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-275-1 If νεάζων ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-276-1 τὸν πρόσθε ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-277-1 ἀποστερίσκει ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-278-1 πληθύων ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-279-1 Ἄργος ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-280-1 κῆδος ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-280-2 καινόν ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-281-1 ὡς ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-281-2 ὡς … Ἄργος … καθέξον ἢ … βιβῶν ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-282-1 τιμῇ ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-282-2 καθέξον ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-282-3 πρὸς οὐρ. βιβῶν ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-283-1 ἀριθμός ³⁰¹

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

, 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 ³⁰²

mvp-comment-285-2 ὡς … θεοὺς ἕξειν ³⁰³

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

, 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 (

, 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 1331

.

mvp-comment-288-1 εὐσοίας ³⁰⁴

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

, which gives a clear constr. It seems arbitrary to assume that in L's reading 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 comparing ; but in such phrases = not

mvp-comment-290-1 ἐν σοὶ ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-290-2 γίγνεσθαι ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-290-3 φασί ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-290-4 κράτη ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-291-1 ἀνήρ ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-292-1 ὤλλυσαν ³¹¹

mvp-comment-293-1 see on 1

.

mvp-comment-293-2 δ\ς πέσῃ ³¹²

mvp-comment-294-1 καὶ μὴν ³¹³

mvp-comment-294-2 γε ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-295-1 βαιοῦ … χρόνου ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-295-2 κοὐχὶ μ. ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-296-1 στήσωσι ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-297-1 ὅρων ³¹⁸

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

mvp-comment-298-2 Oedipus took

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

ἄτην τοῖς πέμψασιν

(93) .

mvp-comment-298-3 θύρασι ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-298-4 κειμένου ³²⁰

mvp-comment-299-1 κείνοις ³²¹ βαρύς ³²²

mvp-comment-299-2 δυστυχῶν ³²³

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

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

mvp-comment-301-1 σε προσθέσθαι ³²⁴

mvp-comment-301-2 ἂν … κρατοῖς ³²⁵

mvp-comment-302-1 καὶ ³²⁶

mvp-comment-303-1 τοὔμφυλον αἷμα ³²⁷

mvp-comment-304-1 συναλλαγῆς ³²⁸

mvp-comment-305-1 σοῖς … τάφοις ³²⁹

mvp-comment-306-1 θεωρῶν ³³⁰

mvp-comment-306-2 ἑστίας ³³¹

mvp-comment-307-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ³³²

mvp-comment-308-1 οἱ μολόντες ³³³

mvp-comment-309-1 παίδων τις ³³⁴

mvp-comment-310-1 καὶ εἶτα ³³⁵

mvp-comment-310-2 τῶνδ’ ³³⁶

mvp-comment-310-3 πάρος … προὔθεντο ³³⁷

mvp-comment-311-1 τοὐμοῦ πόθου ³³⁸

mvp-comment-312-1 φέρω δ’ ὅμως ³³⁹

mvp-comment-313-1 ἀλλ’ ³⁴⁰

mvp-comment-313-2 σφιν ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-313-3 τὴν πεπρωμένην ³⁴²

mvp-comment-314-1 ἐν δ’ ³⁴³

mvp-comment-314-2 ἐν ἐμοί ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-315-1 κἀπαναίρονται ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-315-2 ἐπαναιροῦνται δόρυ ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-316-1 ὡς ³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-317-1 οἵ γε ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-318-1 ἀτίμως ³⁴⁹

mvp-comment-319-1 οὐκ ἔσχον ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-319-2 ἤμυναν ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-319-3 ἀνάστατος ³⁵²

mvp-comment-320-1 αὐτοῖν ³⁵³

mvp-comment-320-2 ἐξεκηρύχθην ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-321-1 εἴποις ἂν ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-321-2 θέλοντι ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-321-3 τότε ³⁵⁷

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

, 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 ³⁵⁸

mvp-comment-323-2 τὴν αὐτίχ’ ³⁵⁹

mvp-comment-324-1 λευσθῆναι πέτροις ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-325-1 ἔρωτ’ ἐς τόνδ’ ³⁶²

mvp-comment-326-1 πέπων ³⁶³

mvp-comment-327-1 ἐκδραμόντα ³⁶⁵

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

.); but it is simpler to take it with κολαστήν , "too great a chastiser of the sins." As is "violent anger," so which is over-violent can be called . The rhythm of the verse will not permit us to disjoin (as by a comma) from .

mvp-comment-329-1 τὸ τηνίκ’ ἤδη ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-329-2 τοῦτο μέν ³⁶⁸

mvp-comment-330-1 χρόνιον ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-330-2 ἐπωφελεῖν ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-331-1 οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ πατρί ³⁷¹

mvp-comment-331-2 τὸ δρᾶν ³⁷²

mvp-comment-332-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν ³⁷³

mvp-comment-333-1 σφιν ³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-334-1 τοῖνδε ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-335-1 τροφάς ³⁷⁶

mvp-comment-336-1 γῆς ἄδειαν ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-336-2 Nauck's

seems too suggestive of a fixed home to suit (3): Wecklein's makes a detail too prominent in this general acknowledgment. With regard to or (Blaydes), remark that never occurs with a gen. of that against which one is safe. The καὶ before seems genuine: were it absent, the before must answer to that before . And, for a rhetorical passage, γῆς is in some degree confirmed by the assonance with .

mvp-comment-336-3 γένους ³⁷⁸

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

mvp-comment-337-2 κραίνειν ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-337-3 σκῆπτρα ³⁸⁰

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 ³⁸¹

mvp-comment-338-3 τοῦδε ³⁸²

mvp-comment-338-4 συμμάχου ³⁸³

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’ ( ).

mvp-comment-339-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ παλαίφατα ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-339-3 ἐξ ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-340-1 ἤνυσεν ³⁸⁶

mvp-comment-341-1 ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ³⁸⁷

mvp-comment-341-2 In the reading

, note these points: (1) would not mean, "defend me," but rather "defend against me" (cp. on 1524

): we must at least have μοι . (2) πρός yields no tolerable sense. , "ye, in addition to the goddesses," ranks the Coloniates with, or above, their deities. The gloss , written in L over (whence it came into other MSS.), was a palliative. Nor could mean here, "close to their shrine."

mvp-comment-341-3 For Dindorf's

it may be urged:—(1) is in all MSS., which would be strange if were genuine; while is simply explained by ( ) . (2) A change of into might have produced the change of into . (3) After 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 ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-343-1 ἀλκὴν ποεῖσθαι ³⁸⁹

mvp-comment-344-1 ἀρεῖσθε ³⁹⁰

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

perh. preceded ) gives some colour to the conjecture (or ) : 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 is best in 459 : with would have been fitter.

mvp-comment-345-1 ἐπάξιος ³⁹¹

mvp-comment-345-2 κατοικτίσαι ³⁹²

mvp-comment-346-1 αὐτός τε παῖδές θ’ ³⁹³

mvp-comment-347-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-347-2 τῷδε λόγῳ ³⁹⁵

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

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

mvp-comment-348-2 προξένει ³⁹⁶

mvp-comment-348-3 ὡς … τελοῦντι ³⁹⁷

mvp-comment-349-1 καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων ³⁹⁸

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

of Attica, (2) as an atonement for trespass on the grove. The words form an independent sentence, and not a second relative clause (as if were supplied from ): see on 424

.

mvp-comment-350-2 κατέστειψας ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-351-1 ἀειρύτου ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-352-1 δῑ ὁσίων χειρῶν ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦτο ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-353-2 ἀκήρατον ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-354-1 κρατῆρές εἰσιν ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-354-2 εὔχειρος ⁴⁰⁶

mvp-comment-354-3 τέχνη ⁴⁰⁷

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

, and 4. 152 of an ): 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’ ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-355-3 λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-356-1 θαλλοῖσιν ⁴¹⁰

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

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 ⁴¹¹

mvp-comment-358-1 τὸ δ’ ἔνθεν ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-358-2 ποῖ τελ. ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-359-1 χοὰς χέασθαι ⁴¹⁴

mvp-comment-359-2 πρὸς πρώτην ἕω ⁴¹⁵

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

) or purifications ( ) faced the East (as the region of light and purity), quoting El. 424 f., where Electra , and Cratinus (the title of the comedy was , Bothe, Frag. Com. p. 47): ,—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

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

mvp-comment-360-1 κρωσσοῖς ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-360-2 οἷς ⁴¹⁷

mvp-comment-360-3 χέω ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-361-1 πηγάς ⁴¹⁹

mvp-comment-361-2 τρισσάς ⁴²⁰

mvp-comment-361-3 τὸν τελευτ ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-362-1 θῶ ⁴²²

mvp-comment-363-1 μελίσσης ⁴²³

mvp-comment-363-2 προσφέρειν ⁴²⁴

mvp-comment-364-1 μελάμφυλλος ⁴²⁵

mvp-comment-365-1 αὐτῇ ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-365-2 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν ⁴²⁷

mvp-comment-366-1 ἐπεύχεσθαι ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-367-1 τούτων ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-367-2 μέγιστα ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-368-1 Εὐμενίδας ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-368-2 ἐξ ⁴³²

mvp-comment-369-1 τὸν ἱκέτην ⁴³³

mvp-comment-369-2 σωτήριον ⁴³⁴

mvp-comment-370-1 σύ τ’ ⁴³⁵

mvp-comment-371-1 ἄπυστα ⁴³⁶

mvp-comment-371-2 μηκύνων ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-372-1 ἀφέρπειν ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-372-2 ἄστροφος ⁴⁴⁰

mvp-comment-373-1 παρασταίην ⁴⁴¹

mvp-comment-374-1 προσχώρων ⁴⁴²

mvp-comment-375-1 ὁδωτά ⁴⁴³

mvp-comment-375-2 λείπομαι ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-375-3 ἐν ⁴⁴⁵

mvp-comment-376-1 δύνασθαι ⁴⁴⁶

mvp-comment-377-1 ἀρκεῖν … παρῇ ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-378-1 ἀλλ’ ἐν τάχει τι ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-379-1 δίχα ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-380-1 τελοῦσα ⁴⁵⁰

mvp-comment-380-2 τὸν τόπον ⁴⁵¹

mvp-comment-381-1 χρῆσται ⁴⁵²

mvp-comment-381-2 τοῦτο ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-382-1 ἄλσους ⁴⁵⁴

mvp-comment-383-1 ἔποικος ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-384-1 Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δ’ ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-385-1 οὐδ’ ⁴⁵⁷

mvp-comment-387-1 κείμενον … ἐπεγείρειν ⁴⁵⁸

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 ⁴⁵⁹

mvp-comment-390-1 τᾶς ⁴⁶⁰

mvp-comment-390-2 ἀπόρου φανείσας ⁴⁶¹

mvp-comment-391-1 ᾇ ξυνέστας ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-392-1 τᾶς σᾶς ἃ πέπονθ’ ⁴⁶³

mvp-comment-392-2 ἔργ’ ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-393-1 τὸ πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον ἄκουσμα χρῄξω ἀκοῦσαι ὀρθόν ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-393-2 πολὺ ⁴⁶⁶

mvp-comment-393-3 μηδαμὰ ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-393-4 λῆγον ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-393-5 ἄκουσμα ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-394-1 στέρξον ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-395-1 κἀγὼ ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-396-1 I read

was, indeed, the ordinary form of the aor. in the older Attic, as inscriptions show, in which occurs first about 360 B.C. (Meisterhans, p. 88); but is proved by metre in El. 13 and Eur. Ion 38 . is suitable, when he is reluctantly proceeding to unfold his story in answer to their pressing demand.

mvp-comment-396-2 ἤνεγκ’ ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-396-3 κακότατ’ ⁴⁷³

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

is wrong, since metre requires u- (cp. 510). With Bothe's ἑκὼν the sense would be:— The objections to this are insuperable. (1)

mvp-comment-396-5 θεὸς ἴστω ⁴⁷⁴

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

when he did not act (271), (273), (976). Il. 4.43

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σοὶ δῶκα ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ

is irrelevant:— Zeus there says to Hera (since neither god nor man could compel Zeus),

mvp-comment-397-1 αὐθαίρετον ⁴⁷⁵

mvp-comment-398-1 κακᾷ εὐνᾷ ⁴⁷⁶

mvp-comment-399-1 ἦ ματρόθεν … ἐπλήσω ⁴⁷⁷

mvp-comment-399-2 ματρόθεν ⁴⁷⁸

mvp-comment-400-1 ἀκούειν ⁴⁷⁹

mvp-comment-401-1 The constr. is

etc.

mvp-comment-401-2 ἐξ ἐμοῦ ⁴⁸⁰

mvp-comment-401-3 αὗται … παῖδε ⁴⁸¹

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

: Ant. 793

νεῖκος ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον.

mvp-comment-402-2 κοινᾶς ⁴⁸²

mvp-comment-403-1 σαί τ’ εἴσ’ ἄῤ ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-403-2 κοιναί ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-403-3 πατρὸς ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-404-1 ἰώ — ἰὼ δῆτα ⁴⁸⁶

mvp-comment-404-2 γε ⁴⁸⁷

mvp-comment-404-3 ἐπιστροφαί ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-405-1 ἄλαστ’ ἔχειν ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-406-1 οὐκ ἔρεξα ⁴⁹⁰

mvp-comment-406-2 τί γάρ ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-407-1 δῶρον ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-407-2 The MS. ἐπωφέλησα ,

or (cp. 441), cannot be right. The sense required is , cp. Ph. 969

μήποτ’ ὤφελον λιπεῖν | τὴν Σκῦρον

: Od. 11.548

ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν

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

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: Here the MSS. have and . On the latter the schol. has , and on the former , thus indicating the certain correction of H. L. Ahrens, . 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,

A criticism by Wecklein is discussed in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-407-4 ἐξελέσθαι ⁴⁹³

mvp-comment-408-1 τί γάρ ⁴⁹⁴

mvp-comment-409-1 δευτέραν ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-410-1 ἔχει δέ μοι … πρὸς δίκας τι ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-410-2 τί γάρ ⁴⁹⁷

mvp-comment-411-1 The MSS. give

Hermann's ἁλοὺς (for ) must mean either (1) as in a net, by fate , or (2) by Laïus and his men, in the sense of, Neither sense is tolerable. Campbell suggests, saying that = . This is as if one said in English, To ἀγνώς the short would be a grave objection: Soph. has the first long thrice in , twice in , once in ( O. T. 681 ), and short never: even in ( Ant. 875 ) the is long. Porson's ἄνους could hardly mean, merely in the sense of The word means ( Ant. 281 ), and should here mean, 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

(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 into (or ) would have been easy if had once been written. In Ai. 794 L has instead of . Cp. Her. 1.11 (Gyges was forced) .

mvp-comment-412-1 νόμῳ … καθαρός ⁴⁹⁸

mvp-comment-412-2 ἐς τόδ’ ἦλθον ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-414-1 ὀμφήν ⁵⁰⁰

mvp-comment-414-2 ἐφ’ ἁστάλη ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-415-1 The

, 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 299

ff.

mvp-comment-415-2 ἔν τε ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-416-1 ἔγνωκά ς’ ⁵⁰³

mvp-comment-416-2 ἔγνωκα ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-417-1 ἀκούων ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-417-2 For

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 , 636 : 638, 640 : 966, 969 : 1000, 1003 , 1004 : 1123, 1129: 1451, 1459: 1487 f.: O. T. 517

φέρον

, 519 , 520 : ib. 1276, 1278 : Ant. 73 , 76 : Ai. 1201 , 1204 ( ).

mvp-comment-418-1 σκευή ⁵⁰⁶

mvp-comment-418-2 δύστηνον ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-419-1 ὄνθ’ ὃς εἶ ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-420-1 )περέσθαι ⁵⁰⁹

mvp-comment-421-1 ἐπέστης ⁵¹⁰

mvp-comment-421-2 πόλεως … ἐμοῦ τ; ⁵¹¹

mvp-comment-422-1 ἂν … τύχοις … ἐξαφισταίμην ⁵¹²

mvp-comment-422-2 πρᾶξιν ⁵¹³

mvp-comment-423-1 ξένος ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-424-1 καὶ ὡς ἤθλησα πλεῖστα εἷς ἀνήρ ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-424-2 ἐπὶ ξένης ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-425-1 κινδυνεύματ’ ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-425-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ ⁵¹⁸ κάρᾳ ⁵¹⁹

mvp-comment-426-1 ξένον ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-426-2 συνεκσῴζειν ⁵²¹

mvp-comment-427-1 ἀνὴρ ⁵²²

mvp-comment-428-1 δοῦ ⁵²³

mvp-comment-429-1 τὸ σὸν γενναῖον ⁵²⁴

mvp-comment-430-1 παρῆκεν ⁵²⁵

mvp-comment-430-2 ὥστε ἐμοὶ δεῖσθαι ⁵²⁶

mvp-comment-430-3 δεῖσθαι ⁵²⁷

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

(instead of as subj. to ) cp. Eur. Hipp. 940

θεοῖσι προσβαλεῖν χθονὶ | ἄλλην δεήσει γαῖαν

: and see on 721

. Wecklein takes with , permisit mihi , but the interposed ὥστε forbids this. The conject. σοι (for ), 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 (cp. O. T. 152

Πυθῶνος ἔβας

, Ph. 630

νεὼς ἄγοντα

), but is more simply governed by .

mvp-comment-432-1 χὡ λόγος διοίχεται ⁵²⁸

mvp-comment-432-2 διέρχεται ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-433-1 τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-434-1 τὰ δὲ | κέρδη ⁵³²

mvp-comment-435-1 που ⁵³³

mvp-comment-436-1 ποίῳ ⁵³⁴

mvp-comment-436-2 προσφορὰ ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-436-3 δηλώσεται ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-437-1 i.e.

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 ⁵³⁷

mvp-comment-437-3 δῑ οὐδενὸς ποεῖ ⁵³⁸

mvp-comment-438-1 ἐνταῦθα γάρ ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-439-1 ἐν βραχεῖ ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-440-1 γε μήν ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-441-1 πότερα ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-441-2 ἐγγενῶν ⁵⁴³

mvp-comment-441-3 κἀμοῦ ⁵⁴⁴

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)

But the ellipse of before 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 ) . To read for merely shifts the first difficulty, and leaves the second. (2) Such an epexegesis by the act. infin. is impossible here. Who could write , meaning, ? (3) has been taken as= = . This needs no comment. We want either: (1) instead of κομίζειν , a word= ; but is very unlikely, and no other substitute is obvious: or (2) instead of ἀναγκάζουσι , a word = That the fault lies in is very strongly suggested by 590, where L has ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντ’ ἄν γ’ , evidently corrupted, by dittographia of , from , 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 . Hence (1) Goebel, ἀλλ’ οὐ θελόντων , ( ): (2) Reisig, ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντάς γ’ , Both these are forced. Campbell supplies to explain , keeping L's : but 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 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 ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-443-2 οὐδέ ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-443-3 φεύγειν ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-444-1 ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-444-2 παρίεσαν ⁵⁴⁹

mvp-comment-445-1 θυμὸς δ’ ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-445-2 ξύμφορον ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-446-1 μάθῃς μου ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-447-1 ξυμφορὰν ⁵⁵³

mvp-comment-447-2 ἐρεῖς ⁵⁵⁴

mvp-comment-448-1 μεῖζον ἢ κατ’ ἄνθρ. ⁵⁵⁵

mvp-comment-448-2 νοσεῖς ⁵⁵⁶

mvp-comment-449-1 Instead of

, we have , since = .—Cp. on 407

.

mvp-comment-450-1 πεμψαίαθ’ ⁵⁵⁷

mvp-comment-450-2 ὥστ’ οἰκεῖν δίχα ⁵⁵⁸

mvp-comment-450-3 ὥστε ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-451-1 ἐξαναγκάσει ⁵⁶⁰

mvp-comment-452-1 ὅτι ⁵⁶¹

mvp-comment-452-2 τῇδε … χθονί ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-453-1 τἀμὰ κἀκείνων ⁵⁶³

mvp-comment-454-1 γῆρας … κατθανεῖν ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-455-1 συγχεῖ ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-455-2 παγκρατὴς ⁵⁶⁶

mvp-comment-456-1 φθίνει μὲν … φθίνει δὲ ⁵⁶⁷

mvp-comment-456-2 γῆς ⁵⁶⁸

mvp-comment-457-1 βλαστάνει ⁵⁶⁹

mvp-comment-458-1 πνεῦμα ⁵⁷⁰

mvp-comment-459-1 βέβηκεν ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-459-2 πόλει ⁵⁷⁴

mvp-comment-460-1 τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἤδη ⁵⁷⁵

mvp-comment-460-2 ἤδη ⁵⁷⁶

mvp-comment-460-3 καὖθις φίλα ⁵⁷⁷

mvp-comment-461-1 Θήβαις ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-462-1 καλῶς ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-462-2 τὰ ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-462-3 τὸ πρὸς σέ ⁵⁸¹

mvp-comment-462-4 ὁ μυρίος ⁵⁸²

mvp-comment-463-1 τεκνοῦται ⁵⁸³

mvp-comment-463-2 ἰών ⁵⁸⁴

mvp-comment-464-1 ἐν αἷς ⁵⁸⁵

mvp-comment-464-2 δεξιώματα ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-465-1 δόρει διασκεδῶσιν ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-465-2 δόρει ⁵⁸⁸

mvp-comment-466-1 ἵν’ ⁵⁸⁹

mvp-comment-466-2 εὕδων ⁵⁹⁰

mvp-comment-467-1 ψυχρὸς … θερμὸν ⁵⁹¹

mvp-comment-468-1 σαφής ⁵⁹²

mvp-comment-469-1 τἀκίνητα ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-470-1 ἔα με ⁵⁹⁴

mvp-comment-470-2 τὸ σὸν … πιστὸν φυλάσσων ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-471-1 εἴπερ μὴ ψεύσουσι ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-471-2 εἴπερ ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-472-1 πάλαι ⁵⁹⁹

mvp-comment-473-1 ἐφαίνετο τελῶν ⁶⁰⁰

mvp-comment-474-1 δῆτ’ ⁶⁰¹

mvp-comment-474-2 ἐκβάλοι ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-475-1 ὅτῳ ⁶⁰³

mvp-comment-475-2 κοινή ⁶⁰⁴

mvp-comment-475-3 αἰέν ⁶⁰⁵

mvp-comment-475-4 δορύξενος ⁶⁰⁶

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

down to 637 as because (1) there could be no when Oedipus did not even know the name of Theseus (68), and (2) in 636 is suspicious. On this, see ad loc. As to (1), the 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 . Cp. on 619

. After Wecklein's excision, we have . This is incoherent.

mvp-comment-476-1 ἀφιγμένος ⁶⁰⁷

mvp-comment-476-2 δασμός ⁶⁰⁸

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

1007 ,

σεβίσασα

Ant. 943 ,

σεβίζομαι ⁶⁰⁹

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 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 ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-478-1 ἔμπολιν ⁶¹¹

mvp-comment-478-2 ἔμπαλιν ⁶¹²

mvp-comment-478-3 δέ ⁶¹³

mvp-comment-479-1 σέ ⁶¹⁴

mvp-comment-480-1 εἰ δὲ τόδε — στείχειν μετ’ ἐμοῦ, — ἡδύ ἐστι — δίδωμί σοι, τούτων κρίναντι ( ὁπότερον βούλει ), χρῆσθαι ( αὐτᾦ ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-480-2 τούτων ⁶¹⁶

mvp-comment-480-3 δίδωμι … χρῆσθαι ⁶¹⁷

mvp-comment-480-4 With

, the constr. would be, ( ), a word expressing consent being evolved from . But (1) this is harsher than O. T. 91

εἰ τῶνδε χρῄζεις πλησιαζόντων κλύειν

ἕτοιμος εἰπεῖν, εἴτε καὶ στείχειν ἔσω

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

πεπυσμέναι γάρ, εἰ θανεῖν ἡμᾶς ⁶¹⁸ χρεών,

ἥδιον ἂν θάνοιμεν, εἴθ’ ὁρᾶν φάος

( ), sc. . 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 ⁶¹⁹

mvp-comment-480-6 ξυνοίσομαι ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-481-1 διδοίης … εὖ ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-482-1 δόμους στείχειν ⁶²²

mvp-comment-483-1 εἰ … ἦν ⁶²³

mvp-comment-484-1 ἐν ᾧ τί πράξεις ⁶²⁴

mvp-comment-485-1 κρατήσω ⁶²⁵

mvp-comment-486-1 μέγ’ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα ⁶²⁶

mvp-comment-486-2 τῆς συνουσίας ⁶²⁷

mvp-comment-486-3 τῆς ς. ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-487-1 εἰ σοί γ’ | ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ ⁶²⁹

mvp-comment-488-1 τὸ τοῦδέ γ’ ἀνδρ ⁶³⁰

mvp-comment-489-1 ὡς κακὸν ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-490-1 ἢ λόγῳ ⁶³²

mvp-comment-491-1 τοῦ μάλιστ’ ὄκνος σ’ ἔχει ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-492-1 ὅρα με λείπων ⁶³⁵

mvp-comment-493-1 ὀκνοῦντ’ ἀνάγκη ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-494-1 οὐκ οἶσθ’ ⁶³⁷

mvp-comment-494-2 μή ⁶³⁸

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

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

mvp-comment-495-2 θυμῷ ⁶³⁹

mvp-comment-496-1 αὑτοῦ ⁶⁴⁰

mvp-comment-496-2 φροῦδα ⁶⁴¹

mvp-comment-497-1 κείνοις ⁶⁴²

mvp-comment-497-2 καὶ εἰ ἐπερρώσθη ⁶⁴³

mvp-comment-497-3 λέγειν ⁶⁴⁴

mvp-comment-497-4 We cannot read

, since the pl. is needed. The best solution would be , from which might have come through a transposition. But the sarcastic

mvp-comment-497-5 ἴσως ⁶⁴⁵

mvp-comment-497-6 κεἰ ⁶⁴⁶

mvp-comment-498-1 τὸ δεῦρο ⁶⁴⁷

mvp-comment-499-1 θαρσεῖν μὲν οὖν ⁶⁴⁸

mvp-comment-499-2 κἄνευ τῆς ἐμῆς γνώμης ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-499-3 ἐπαινῶ ⁶⁵⁰

mvp-comment-499-4 Φοῖβος ⁶⁵¹

mvp-comment-500-1 ὅμως ⁶⁵²

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

with . You have come to earth's best abodes ( Colonus ), belonging to this ( Attica ). The gen. εὐίπ. τ. χώρας is most simply taken as possessive, denoting the country to which the belong, though it might also be partitive. It precedes as the territorial gen. regularly precedes the local name, Her. 3.136

ἀπίκοντο τῆς Ἰταλίης ἐς Τάραντα

.

mvp-comment-503-1 γᾶς ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-503-2 ἔπαυλα ⁶⁵⁴

mvp-comment-504-1 τὸν ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-504-2 ἀργῆτα ⁶⁵⁶

mvp-comment-505-1 μινύρεται θαμίζουσα ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-506-1 χλω. ὑπὸ βάσσαις ⁶⁵⁸

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

, "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 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. is a good Attic form (used four times by Eur.), and is nearer to the MSS. than Dindorf's . The latter word would mean,

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

is certainly not the hero Colonus (65) . We might desire θεᾶν (the Eumenides), but the meant is not only that of the sacred grove; it includes the Academy.

mvp-comment-508-2 μυριόκαρπον ⁶⁵⁹

mvp-comment-509-1 ἀνήνεμον … χειμώνων ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-510-1 βακχιώτας ⁶⁶¹

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐμβατεύει ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-511-2 ἀμφιπολῶν ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-511-3 tiqh/nais ⁶⁶⁴

mvp-comment-512-1 θάλλει δ’ ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-513-1 νάρκισσος ⁶⁶⁷

mvp-comment-513-2 μεγάλαιν θεαῖν ⁶⁶⁸

mvp-comment-514-1 ἀρχαῖον στεφάνωμ’ ⁶⁶⁹

mvp-comment-515-1 χρυσαυγὴς κρόκος ⁶⁷⁰

mvp-comment-516-1 κρῆναι ⁶⁷²

mvp-comment-516-2 μινύθουσιν ⁶⁷³

mvp-comment-517-1 Κηφισοῦ ⁶⁷⁴

mvp-comment-517-2 νομάδες ⁶⁷⁵

mvp-comment-518-1 ἐπ’ ἤματι ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-519-1 ὠκυτόκος ⁶⁷⁹

mvp-comment-519-2 πεδίων ἐπινίσσεται ⁶⁸⁰

mvp-comment-520-1 ὄμβρῳ ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-521-1 στ. χθονός ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-521-2 στερνούχου ⁶⁸³

mvp-comment-521-3 Μουσᾶν ⁶⁸⁴

mvp-comment-522-1 νιν ⁶⁸⁵

mvp-comment-522-2 οὐδ’ ἁ ⁶⁸⁶

mvp-comment-522-3 Ἀφροδίτη ⁶⁸⁷

mvp-comment-522-4 χρυσάνιος ⁶⁸⁸

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 (

, 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 of the Erechtheum ( Paus. 1.30.2 ).

mvp-comment-523-2 γᾶς Ἀσίας ⁶⁸⁹

mvp-comment-524-1 Δωρίδι ⁶⁹⁰

mvp-comment-524-2 νάσῳ ⁶⁹¹

mvp-comment-524-3 Πέλοπος ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-525-1 φύτευμ’ ⁶⁹⁴

mvp-comment-525-2 ἀχείρωτον ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-526-1 φόβημα ⁶⁹⁶

mvp-comment-527-1 τᾷδε … χώρᾳ ⁶⁹⁷

mvp-comment-527-2 μέγιστα ⁶⁹⁸

mvp-comment-528-1 παιδοτρόφου ⁶⁹⁹

mvp-comment-529-1 τὸ μέν τις ⁷⁰⁰

mvp-comment-529-2 σημαίνων ⁷⁰¹

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

, understanding, , : but such a fig. sense of is inconceivable. Nauck's is too far from the MSS., and the plur. is strange. I incline to believe that the poet indeed meant but without any personal reference, and merely in this general sense:— The words suit this. The conjecture συνναίων has palaeographic probability (for a cursive text): for the phrase cp. Eur. fr. 370 .

mvp-comment-530-1 κύκλος ⁷⁰²

mvp-comment-531-1 Μορίου Διός ⁷⁰³

mvp-comment-531-2 Μορίου ⁷⁰⁴

mvp-comment-532-1 γλαυκῶπις ⁷⁰⁵

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

mvp-comment-533-2 ματρόπολει ⁷⁰⁶

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.

(713) must not be judged with modern fastidiousness: see on 554

.

mvp-comment-535-1 εὔιππον, εὔπωλον ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-535-2 εὔιππον ⁷⁰⁸

mvp-comment-535-3 εὐθάλασσον ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-535-4 εὔιππον, εὐθάλασσον ⁷¹⁰

mvp-comment-536-1 σὺ γάρ ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-537-1 εἷσας ⁷¹²

mvp-comment-538-1 ἵπποισιν ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-538-2 ἀκεστῆρα ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-539-1 πρώταισι ταῖσδε … ἀγυιαῖς ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-539-2 κτίσας ⁷¹⁶

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

, the form is varied to a passive constr. If παραπτομένα is sound, this seems the best account of it,— , suggesting the notion, (If from , 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 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 may have been a gloss; cp. Eur. I. T. 1405 ( ) .

mvp-comment-540-2 εὐήρετμος ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-540-3 ἔκπαγλα ⁷¹⁸

mvp-comment-540-4 ἁλία ⁷¹⁹

mvp-comment-541-1 τῶν ἑκατομπόδων Νηρῄδων ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-543-1 σὸν … δὴ ⁷²¹

mvp-comment-543-2 φαίνειν τὰ λαμπρὰ ἔπη ⁷²²

mvp-comment-544-1 The

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

mvp-comment-545-1 ἡμῖν ⁷²³

1-116. mvp-comment-1-1 The scene of the πρόλογος, ll. 1-116, is probably on the north side of Colonus, with Athens in the distance. See Introduction, p. 282. The spot so familiar to the audience (οὐ λόγοις τιμώμεν' ἀλλὰ τῇ συνουσίᾳ, infr. 63-64) would probably be recalled by the representation on the stage of some striking objects, especially those which marked the religio loci. Oedipus enters (right?), led by Antigone, and sits down in the middle of the proscenium, where he remains until Antigone descries the approach of the chorus.

94. mvp-comment-66-1 παρηγγύα (1) He promised withal. παρά = besides.' Or (2), like παρεγγυᾶν σύνθημα, He told me as a sign.' Cp. supr. 46.

96-98. mvp-comment-67-1 ἔγνωκα.. άλσος And I am sure that some true intimation from you has led me to my destination in this grove. Cp. Pind. Ol. 6. 663, Il. 24. 53,4. an

97. mvp-comment-68-1 πιστὸν.. πτερόν Some true intimation from you. The meaning of omen or sign is generalized so as to apply to a presentiment or inward intimation. Schol. πτερόν: οἰωνός. τὴν πτέρωσιν τῆς διανοίας. For a similar mental influence, cp. El. 459, οἶμαι μὲν οὖν, οἷμαί τι κἀκείνῳ μέλον | πέμψαι τάδ' αὐτῇ δυσπρόσοπτ᾽ ὀνείρατα: also Phil. 1039, εἰ μὴ τι κέντρον θεῖον ἦγ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ.

99. mvp-comment-69-1 The correction ὑμῖν is taken from the note of the Scholiast.

100. mvp-comment-70-1 σεμνὸν .. βάθρον Cp. 57, 8: Aesch. Eum. 107, χοάς τ' ἀοίνους, νηφάλια μειλίγματα. The Schol. on this line mentions, on the authority of Polemo and Philochorus, various other deities to whom libations of pure water were offered in Attica.

102. mvp-comment-71-1 βίου.. πέρασιν Not a passing out of life, but a passing away of life. The person is not thought of distinct from the life. So the Schol. Cp. infr. 1551 and note, and see Essay on Language § 42 B, p. 80. The genitive βίου, however, is to be taken more closely with καταστροφήν than with πέρασιν.

102. mvp-comment-71-2 βίου.. καταστροφήν Ending of life, a metaphor from turning down the end of a thread in weaving. Cp. Hdt. 4. 205, τὴν ζύην κατέπλεξε.

104-105. mvp-comment-72-1 εἰ μή τι.. βροτῶν Unless haply (εἰ μή τι) my afflictions seem too light, who am always suffering the greatest calamities which can afflict mortals. Schol. εἰ μὴ δοκῶ ὑμῖν ἐλαττόνως ἔχειν τὰ κακὰ καὶ δεῖσθαι προσθήκης κακῶν. Cp. Morris' Story of Sigurd, p. 374, And if all be little enough and the Gods begrudge me rest. μειόνως ἔχειν is naturally opposed to ἀρκούντως ἔχειν, and is to be taken in close connection with what follows: i. e. μειόνως ἔχειν..

104-105. mvp-comment-72-2 λατρεύων – μειόνως ἔχειν λατρευμάτων. Herm. takes μειόνως ἔχειν as equivalent το μείονος λόγου εἶναι. But this is hardly legitimate, and gives a poor meaning.

106. mvp-comment-73-1 γλυκεῖαι Welcome daughters. This epithet is not here merely propitiatory (like Εὐμενίδες, etc.), but expresses the real feeling of Oedipus. He has no fear of the 'Ερινύες, who have done their worst,' and are now to give him the rest for which he longs; cp. Aj. 394, where, in a different mood, Ajax more passionately invokes Erebus as to him most bright.

107. mvp-comment-74-1 μεγίστης Παλλάδος καλούμεναι Called the possession of mightiest Pallas.

109. mvp-comment-75-1 ἀνδρὸς Οἰδίπου Pity this miserable shadow of the man that Oedipus once was. For this emphatic sense of ἀνήρ, cp. 393, τηνικαῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ εἰμ' ἀνήρ : Αj. 77, πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽ ἦν. The degree of emphasis in these passages varies. It is less in Aj. 77, than in O. C. 393. And in the present passage it is still more slight, suggesting rather than expressing the contrast of conditions.

110. mvp-comment-76-1 The reading of Aldus, which various editors have approved without adopting it, is found in Ven. 467, from which he no doubt derived it. See Introd. p. 284.

112. mvp-comment-77-1 χρόνῳ παλαιοί Very old men. The pleonasm is intensive, as in γονῇ γενναῖε, Ο. Τ. 1469.

112. mvp-comment-77-2 σῆς ἕδρας ἐπίσκοποι Το see why you are sitting here.' 113. σιγήσομαί τε καὶ σύ μ᾽ ἐξ ὁδοῦ πόδα κρύψον] I will say nothing. But take and hide me out of the way.' με is governed, πρὸς τὸ σημαινόμενον, by the phrase πόδα κρύψον, which is substituted for ὑπέξαγε or the like. Cp. Essay on Language § 16. p. 23.

114. mvp-comment-78-1 τῶνδε.. ἐκμάθω Until I learn of these men.' Gen. of perception and also of respect.' Essay on Language pp. 16, 13. For ἐκμανθάνειν, to learn perfectly, cp. Ο. Τ. 575, ἐκμάνθαν᾽. 115-116. For in being fully informed lies the secret of cautious proceeding.' Oedipus has the timidity of age. For the spondee in ἐν γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν, cp. Εl. 376, εἰ γὰρ τῶνδε μοι. The four words are very closely bound together. 117 ff. Exit Oedipus and Antigone leading him. The scene is changed (?) to the entrance of the sacred grove. The chorus enter from the spectators' right. See Introduction, p. 282.

117. mvp-comment-79-1 It is doubtful whether ἦν here is literally past, or, as infra 150, 1696, equivalent to an emphatic ἔστι = ' Who can it be?' according to the use noticed in the Essay on Language § 32, 6. p. 55. Schol. ὁ χορὸς ἐκ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἀνδρῶν πεπυσμένος, ὅτι προσκαθέζεταί τις ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, πρῶτα ὑποχαλεπαίνοντες φασί, τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν ἢ ποῦ διατρίβει;

117. mvp-comment-79-2 ποῦ ναίει] The same idiom recurs in Τr. 99, πόθι.. ναίει, of a temporary abode. For 11. 117-254, cp. Phil. 135-219, Eur. Or. 140-207, Ion 184-236, Heracl. 73-83, where there is a similar interchange of lyrical measures between the chief actor on the stage and the chorus on their first entrance. The commatic parodos' of the Electra, 11. 121-250, is more regular in structure, and is rather to be compared with Aj. 201-262, Aesch. Prom. 114-192, Eur. Med. 131-212, etc. As in other places where the part assigned to the chorus is much broken, it has been attempted to distribute it amongst the fifteen choreutae, who are supposed to speak one at a time. But although some such arrangement is probable in itself and confirmed by the comparison of other passages, such as Aj. 866-960. El. 823-870, Trach. 871-895, it is impossible to determine the details of it with any approach to certainty. For instance whether ll. 117-137, 149-169, were chanted by ἡμιχόρια, (the asyndeta giving the effect of doubt amidst eager search), or divided amongst several persons, or in what order the individual members of the chorus took part, are questions which may be asked but not answered. Ll. 176-177, 203-206, 229-236, may be assigned with some probability to the Coryphaeus. See Hermann's notes. It is also uncertain how far an antistrophic arrangement of the metres is to be maintained. Thus 11. 117-137 clearly correspond to 11. 149-169. But the anapaestic movement, 11. 138-148, is not exactly answered by 11. 170-177: cp. Eur. Ion 227-229: and, while 11. 178-181, 184-187, severally correspond (though in the MSS. not perfectly) to 194-198, 203-206, there is again a want of correspondence between ll. 182-183, and 199-202. Although these are not anapaestic measures, it may be observed that they accompany movements of Oedipus, which, if they were to be represented at all naturally, were necessarily interrupted and irregular, and while it is of course possible that some lines have been lost after 183, it is also conceivable that there may have been an interval of silence, or that a pause in the dialogue may have been filled up with instrumental music. Cp. infr. 1692 ff. and note, Phil. 1170 1217. However this may have been, the correction ἡσυχαίᾳ, which brings l. 197 into accordance with 182, is probably right. The long passage 207-254, which may be regarded as a double epode, is even less regular, the rhythm changing several times with the situation. But the similarity of 207 ff. to 237 ff., which led Hermann to arrange this passage also antistrophically, suggests the idea of a strain which after being interrupted is again renewed. And the dactylic measures of the chorus (229 ff.) are resumed, though with a difference, in the supplication of Antigone (241 ff.). The prevailing metre is logaoedic, with free anapaestic systems coming between. But ll. 212-215, where a fresh cause of agitation arises, are Ionic a minore; and the passage which follows presents a curious alternation of single paroemiacs with The concluding lines, 229 ff., contain a series of rapid dactylic measures modified with an occasional glyconic or iambic rhythm. The following lines have been objected to for metrical reasons as they are found in the MS. text, 117, 121, 2, 3, 134 or 166, 152, 156, 175, 178, 182, 3, (or 197-202), 205, 212, 220, 226, 247, 252. The difficulties will be dealt with as they occur. But it may be remarked at the outset that the divergences from an antistrophic structure which have been noticed above cannot justify what is in itself unmetrical. At the same time the variation between CIK and cc, c c − (134-166) or between Icchci and Aclcclc- (182-197), the shortening of the diphthong in ναίει (cp. γεραιός), or admission of an irrational thesis (117), and the resolution of the long syllable of an anapaest or dactyl as in 220, although they may be rejected on special grounds in particular places, are not to be absolutely condemned. Lastly, in dealing with metrical irregularities in the lyrical part of plays which like the O. C. and Phil. belong to the latest period of Greek tragedy, we are haunted by the doubt whether the changes in music which began about this time were not already accompanied with metrical innovations. In the presence of manifest corruptions, like that in l. 152, we cannot firmly maintain that it was so; yet the fact remains that the metrical anomalies in the text of these two plays greatly exceed the average of corruptions in Sophocles. The metrical scheme of 11. 117-254 is the following :- λεύσσετ' Β Vat. a'. 117-137 =149-169. 15 10 5 つ 1つ ートート​CI トートー உ ここ luctu ID D β'. Free anapaests. 178 ff.=194 ff. トト ἐπ. α'. 207-236. 5 5 トー ヒト​し​て​トー [トー IICCICIC [- L つ 3 T ID ト 10 T CCC かいし اد C ἐπ. β΄. 1 I 237-253. 101007- トリトー 15 10 5 1001100 10110) T つつ luc וכוכ しかし トレトー luc ト​し​て​レトー CCLLCI つつ つ כו CCCCCC いと じんく 20 CCC つつ CCC 00 } Look out! Who was it then? Where is he? Whither is he sped away, the most reckless of men? Inquire for him; keenly look; look for him in every direction. The old man is some wanderer, and a stranger to the place: else never had he gone within the pathless grove of these invincible maidens, whom we tremble to name, and pass with downcast eyes, with voices hushed, without words, breathing the language of pious thought. But now we hear that one is come, having no reverence, of whom I, looking over all the grove, cannot yet tell where he is to be found.

120. mvp-comment-80-1 ἀκορέστατος i. e. not to be satisfied without invading our most sacred place.

121-123. mvp-comment-81-1 Hermann's conjectures are adopted to secure the correspondence of these lines with infr. 153-155, 11. 4-6 of the antistrophe : ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μὰν ἕν γ᾽ ἐμοὶ | προσθήσεις τάσδ' ἀράς· | περᾷς γάρ.

125. mvp-comment-82-1 προσέβα .. οὐκ Essay on Language § 41. p. 78.

126. mvp-comment-83-1 The genitive with ἄλσος forms a single phrase; hence és is not misplaced. Cp. Εl. 14, τοσόνδ᾽ ἐς ἥβης : Il. 1.350, θῖν ἐφ᾽ ἁλὸς πολιῆς : supr. 85. The preposition marks that he not only approached but entered.

127. mvp-comment-84-1 ἀμαιμακετᾶν Schol. ἀκαταμαχήτων ἢ ἀπροσπελάστων. The former seems to be the true Homeric meaning, which however is modified in the Sophoclean use by an association from μαίομαι. Cp. Pind. Pyth. 3. 33, κασιγνήταν μένει | θύοισαν ἀμαιμακέτῳ.

131. mvp-comment-85-1 Cp. infr. 489; Eur. Or. 409-410, ὀνομάσαι δ᾽ οὐ βούλομαι. ΟΡ. σεμναὶ γάρ· εὐπαιδευτὰ δ᾽ ἀποτρέπει λέγειν.

134. mvp-comment-86-1 οὐδὲν ἄζοντα The unusual active voice strengthens the expression. Cp. Essay on Language pp. 51, 98. Oedipus alone of mortals has no fear of the Erinyes. Blaydes conj. οὐκ ἀλέγονθ', retaining εἴ τιν' ἔχεις in l. 166. And the synaphea is certainly more regular if the anapaests have already begun.

138. mvp-comment-87-1 Here am I, the man you seek, for I see by sound, as the saying goes;' i. e. I hear you, though I cannot see. Cp. Ant. 829, ὡς φάτις ἀνδρῶν. Oedipus and Antigone re-enter from behind, and after several movements, with irregular anapaestic accompaniment, he is again seated in the middle of the proscenium, on a raised platform. The absence of the conventional palace-front enables Oedipus to be seen when at the back of the stage.

140-141. mvp-comment-88-1 The chorus are at first too horror-stricken at the very sight of the offender, either to discern his blindness, or to gather the meaning of his words. This appears from their language in 149-150, which is most naturally interpreted as an exclamation on first discovering that he is blind. The present words, as Oedipus perceives, simply express horror at seeing and hearing the impious one (ἄνομον). In l. 143 they pass from horror to curiosity. Only when he directly calls their attention to it, do they realize the fact that he is without sight. Schol. οὔπω ἀκριβῶς ἑωρακότες αὐτὸν τοῦτό φασιν.

142. mvp-comment-89-1 Regard me not as lawless. See not a lawless man in me. For the apparent ellipse of ὡs, see Essay on Language §23. p. 38, and § 39. p. 73.

144. mvp-comment-90-1 Not altogether one of highest fortune, that ye should congratulate him thereon. The genitive is in the first instance attributive, One of high fortune, but is to be resumed with εὐδαιμονίσαι, which governs the genitive, as in Plat. Crit. 43 Β, πολλάκις σε εὐδαιμόνισα τοῦ τρόπου. εὐδαιμονίσαι is 140 145 146. δηλῶ δ'] 148. ὥρμουν LA. ὥρμων C³ and epexegetic infinitive. See Essay on Language § 33. p. 57. Another interpretation deserves notice. Not one to congratulate ( = olov εὐδαιμονίσαι) on his first destiny;' i.e. The destiny which has been his from birth: ἣν οἱ ἐπεκλώσαντο θεοί, ὅτε μιν τέκε μητήρ. But to this may be objected, (1) that the infinitive can hardly stand except as epexegetic; (2) the emphatic position of πρώτης; (3) the gentle irony of the former meaning, which is better adapted to the situation. The same objections apply to the conjecture πρωτῆς, i. q. πεπρωμένης (Vauvillers, Schndw., Nauck.), which is a word only found in grammarians, and gives a poor sense.

145. mvp-comment-91-1 ἔφοροι χώρας Guardians of this land. Oedipus infers their office from the words of the Ξένος, l. 78 , and of his daughter, l. 112 , σῆς ἕδρας ἐπίσκοποι. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 25, στρατιᾶς πολλῆς ἔφοροι.

146. mvp-comment-92-1 δηλῶ δ' And the manner of my coming proves this. Cp. δείκνυμι δ', 1145: Ant. 471, δηλοῖ τὸ γέννημ᾽ ὠμὸν ἐξ ὠμοῦ πατρός: Αj. 355, δηλοῖ δὲ τοὔργον, ὡς ἀφροντίστως ἔχει.

146. mvp-comment-92-2 ὧδε Thus. Ant. 990, αὕτη κέλευθος.

148. mvp-comment-93-1 κἀπὶ σμικροῖς μέγας ὥρμουν Nor, being a prince, as I am, should I have taken up my rest here to crave a small boon. Schol. καὶ ἐπὶ εὐτελέσιν αἰτήμασιν οὐκ ἂν σφόδρα ἱκέτευον, εἰ μὴ ἤμην δυστυχής. Cp. supr. 5. It may be objected to this rendering that it is dramatically inappropriate to make Oedipus assume as manifest (δηλῶ δ', l. 146 ) what the chorus could not know. But it may be rejoined that he is meditating on his own condition and speaking oracularly, as in supr. 45. The other interpretation (also given in the Scholia), or being tall, have leaned on one so slight, is less natural, and (unless σμικpās is read) attributes a doubtful use both to the dative and to the plural.

149-169. mvp-comment-94-1 And wast thou then blind? O wretched life, and protracted, too, if I am not mistaken. Howbeit, if I can prevent, thou shalt not bring this curse. For, I tell thee, thou art transgressing. But oh! lest you break the sacred peace of yonder grassy dell, where the watered hollow gathers softly-flowing streams, of this take heed, all hapless stranger; avoid, remove. The distance hinders. Dost hear, O weary wanderer? If you have any matter for conference with me, come off forbidden ground, and speak, where all may. But, till then, avaunt thee!'

149-150. mvp-comment-95-1 ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων ἆρα καὶ ἦσθα φυτάλμιος Alas, and art thou then blind! The interrogative has the force of an exclamation. For the emphatic order of the words, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 78, γ. ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων φυτάλμιος is a poetical phrase (cp. τὸ φατιζόμενον, l. 139 ) for ἀλαὰ ὄμματα φύσας, i. e. ἔχων. Cp. Aj. 1077, κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα. The past tense has a pathetic or reflective force, Essay on Language § 32. p. 55. The chorus are not enquiring the cause of Oedipus' blindness, but are expressing their horror, slightly modified by pity, at the fact, which they have just discovered.

151-152. mvp-comment-96-1 μακραίων *τις, ἐπεικάσαι For the asyndeton, cp. 161 foll. Others read μακραίων τ᾽ ἔτ᾽, ἐπεικάσαι, in which ἔτι is prosaic, or μακραίων θ᾽, ὅσ᾽ ἐπεικάσαι, for which Linw. cp. Ar. Pax 857, οι μακραίων γ᾽, ὅσ᾽ ἔπ᾽ εἰκάσαι (!).

153. mvp-comment-97-1 ἔν γ᾿ ἐμοί As far as lies in me; i. e. If I can prevent.

153-154. mvp-comment-98-1 οὐ .. ἀράς (1) Be thou blind or old, thou shalt not thus bring down the curse: viz. by violating the precinct.

153-154. mvp-comment-98-2 προσθήσεις, Sc. τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δήμῳ. For this use of προστίθημι, cp. Ο. Τ. 820, ἢ ἐγὼ ἐπ᾿ ἐμαυτῷ τάσδ᾽ ἀρὰς ὁ προστιθείς. The chorus, after yielding for a moment to compassion, return to their main object, the vindication of the sacred ground. Otherwise, the mood of the chorus being supposed to change from horror to pity, (2) Thou shalt not thus bring a curse upon thyself; or (3) Thou shalt not add this curse to thy calamity.

154. mvp-comment-99-1 περᾷς (I) You are transgressing. Not (2) 'You shall come forth: although such a use of the present for a certain future is permissible.

155. mvp-comment-100-1 ἀλλά, while opposing the command to the offence, also contrasts the danger of still further trespass with the trespass already committed. The construction ἐν νάπει πίπτειν is Epic: cp. Αj. 633, ἐν στέρνοισι πεσοῦνται, κ.τ.λ., ib. 375. For τῷδε, used in pointing to an object not close at hand, cp. El. 4, 7, 10.

155. mvp-comment-100-2 ἵνα, κ.τ.λ. depends (1) on the general precept of avoidance (sc. εὐλαβοῦ), which is more definitely expressed, as the sentence proceeds, in τῶν .. φύλαξαι, κ.τ.λ. Or (2) an ellipse of λέγω may be supposed.

155. mvp-comment-100-3 ἀφθέγκτῳ Of unbroken silence,' supr. 131.

156. mvp-comment-101-1 The reading προπέσῃς, although conjectural, seems to be required by the metre, and πρό and πρός are often confused. Either compound gives a good sense-προσπέσῃς implying violence, and προπέσῃς, heedlessness.

157-160. mvp-comment-102-1 κάθυδρος οὗ κρατήρ μειλιχίων ποτῶν ῥεύματι συντρέχει] (1) Where the stream of sweet waters flows together in the pure basin : ῥεύματι, dat. of manner. The basin is said to run together in a stream by a metonymy or inversion. κάθυδρος implies that it received no wine. Supr. 100, ἀοίνοις. (2) The Scholiast understood μειλιχίων ποτῶν to refer to the honey that was mingled with the libation to the Eumenides (infr. 481); i.e. The libation of pure water mingles with the flowing hydromel. ῥεύματι dat. after συν in comp., and the bowl, as infr. 479, for the contents of the bowl. Meineke reads χεύματι. (3) Taking the words as in (1), the epithet μειλιχίων may, however, contain an allusion to this sweetening of the waters, and also an association from μειλίσσομαι, to propitiate. Schol. οἷς μειλίσσουσι τὰς θεάς. Ιn (1) the κρατήρ is the basin in which water was gathered for libations: in (2) it is the vessel from which the libations were poured.

161. mvp-comment-103-1 τῶν Neuter, referring to the whole of the previous description. The genitive is governed by the notion of avoidance in φύλαξαι (= ὑπεκτρέπεσθαι), assisted by μετάσταθι, ἀπόβαθι. For πάμμορε, Schndw. suggested the Homeric κάμμορε.

166. mvp-comment-104-1 λόγον εἴ τιν' οἴσεις This reading is adopted on the ground of metre, and as suiting well with the context. If you will bring any word to be considered by us assembled. For λέσχη, which in the mouth of the chorus here has an ancient and formal air, cp. Ant. 161, τήνδε γερόντων.. λέσχην. For ἔχεις in the MS. reading, cp. Pind. Ol. 8. 4.

168. mvp-comment-105-1 ἵνα πᾶσι νόμος Sc. ἐστὶ φωνεῖν. Where custom permits all to speak. Cp. the common ellipse of the inf. after ἢ θέμις, εἰ θέμις.

170. mvp-comment-106-1 'Daughter, what is one to think?' i. e. What counsel are we to take? The optative may be defended (Essay on Language §36. p. 62, cp. esp. Antipho, p. 112, πρὸς τίνας οὖν ἔλθοι τις βοηθούς;) but the subjunctive is better. For what follows, cp. Aesch. Suppl. sub init. μέμνησο δ' εἶκειν· χρεῖος εἶ ξένη φυγάς. Bias, fragm. viii. (in Bergk's Poetae Melici), Ἀστοῖσιν ἄρεσκε πᾶσιν, ἐν πόλει αἴ κε μένῃς.

172. mvp-comment-107-1 κοὐκ ἄκοντας Yielding what is meet, and not waiting for compulsion. Par. B, etc. here preserve the better reading. Cp Lys. Epitaph. § 14, μηδὲν ποιεῖν ἄκοντας: Εl. 1463. μηδὲ πρὸς βίαν φύσῃ φρένας : Eur. Hec. 225, Pind. Pyth. 4. 288, καλὰ γινώσκοντ᾽ ἀνάγκῃ. The words of Oedipus in 174, μὴ δῆτ᾽ ἀδικηθῶ, Let me not be roughly used are prompted by the fear which Antigone here suggests, and the chorus, in re-assuring him, use the same expression, οὔ τοι .. ἄκοντά τις ἄξει. Cp. infr. 827. Others suggest various modifications of the Laurentian reading. But κἀκούοντας is a feeble repetition of εἴκοντας, and κού κατοκνοῦντας involves too great a change. ἀκούοντας comes of the dittographia AKOONTAC for AKONTAC.

175. mvp-comment-108-1 σοὶ πιστεύσας καὶ μεταναστάς Herm. rejected καί, so as to obtain metrical correspondence with the paroemiac in 191. But this rests on the supposition that the anapaestic systems must exactly correspond, in which case four and a half lines are lost before 188. See note on p. 294. Ll. 176-177, 192-193, have been described by some edd. as choriambic. If so, they would be sung by the whole chorus: if anapaestic, they are recited by the coryphaeus.

178. mvp-comment-109-1 ἔτ᾿ οὖν ; [ἔτι προβῶ] Persuaded at last to move, Oedipus takes his daughter's hand, but before advancing asks for more assurance. The chorus point to a spot where he may rest secure. He then moves forward a few steps, and asks, Is that enough, or must he go further? This line exceeds by four syllables the corresponding line, infr. 194. The words ἔτι προβῶ, which Elmsley rejected, have more the appearance of a gloss than ἔτ᾽ οὖν.

178. mvp-comment-109-2 ἐπίβαινε *πόρσω] Come further on. ἐπιβαίνειν here is to move over a certain space.

180. mvp-comment-110-1 προβίβαζε Conduct him onward, maiden, for you see and understand. Cp. Od. 18. 11, οὐκ ἀτεις ὅτι δή μοι ἐπιλλίζουσιν ἅπαντες, where ateiv is to perceive by sight. προσβίβαζε, besides the doubtful metre, conveys too much of the idea of force.

182-183. mvp-comment-111-1 ἕπεο μάν .. ᾧ σ᾽ ἄγω Come follow, this way follow with thy darkened steps, father, the way I am leading thee.

184-187. mvp-comment-112-1 τόλμα.. σέβεσθαι These lines are rightly given to the chorus. They correspond to 203-206, in which the expression ὦ τλάμων again occurs. not averse, unhappy one, when sojourning in a strange land, to cherish the same hatreds with the citizens and to respect their loves Cp. Eur. Bacch. 431-433, τὸ πλῆθος ὅτι τε φαυλότερον | ἐνόμισε, χρῆταί τε, | τόδε τοι λέγοιμ' ἄν: Aesch. Suppl. 202, μέμνησο δ' εἴκειν, χρεῖος εἶ ξένη φυγάς: Eum. 983, καὶ στυγεῖν μιᾷ φρενί.

186. mvp-comment-113-1 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον Hath habitually chosen for dislike ; i. e. is wont to dislike. There is a slight oxymoron in the form of expression. τέτροφεν, ἔχει, Schol.

189. mvp-comment-114-1 ἵν᾿ ἄν The use of the optative mood with ἄν after a relative, following an imperative, and conveying an implied purpose, is analogous to the Epic construction of such passages as Hom. Il. 8.289 foll., πρώτῳ τοι μετ' ἐμὲ πρεσβήϊον ἐν χερὶ θήσω, |... ἠὲ γυναῖχ᾽ ἣ κέν τοι ὑμὲν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνοι: Theocr. 25.61, ἐγὼ δὲ τοι ἡγεμονεύσω | αὖλιν ἐς ἡμετέρην ἵνα κεν τέτμοιμεν ἄνακτα. The use of ἄν in such places is equivalent to the use of ἄν with the optative in independent clauses. The usage, however, is rare, and has not been generally retained in later Greek.

189. mvp-comment-114-2 In εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες there is a confusion of the literal and metaphorical sense, like that noticed in ἥκομεν, l. 12. Partly coming where we may stand without impiety. like ἐπίβαινε in l. 178, and partly relying on pious action, as in Phil. 1463, δόξης οὔποτε τῆσδ᾽ ἐπιβάντες, where, as here, there is a reminiscence of Epic Greek. Od. 23.13, σαοφροσύνης ἐπέβησαν, etc.

191. mvp-comment-115-1 And let us not fight with necessity.

192. mvp-comment-116-1 αὐτοῦ There; i.e. That is where I bid you stay. The ellipse is probably a colloquial idiom. Cp. ἔτι; l. 180, supra.

192-193. mvp-comment-117-1 μηκέτι .. κλίνῃς Stir not again from this rocky platform. For the periphrasis in πόδα κλίνῃς, cp. 113, καὶ σύ μ᾽ ἐξ ὁδοῦ πόδα κρύψον, Ο. Τ. 468, πόδα νωμᾷν. The expression ἀντίπετρον βῆμα, A rock-like platform. would suggest to those who had seen the sacred place at Colonus some peculiarity in the basement of the low seats at the entrance of the grove, or possibly means that while Oedipus remains on this narrow restingplace his foot is placed immovably on the rock. The conjecture αὐτοπέτρου is plausible but unnecessary. The Scholiast says, ἀντιπέτρου, ὅτι ἀντὶ πέτρας χαλκοῦν ἦν, referring to the χάλκους ὀδός. Cp. supr. l. 57, and note. ἀντίπετρος, like ἀντίθεος, ἀντίδουλος, ἀντήλιος, ἀντίπαις, ἀντίπυργος, ἀντίσποδος.

192-193. mvp-comment-117-2 Ιη πόδα κλίνῃς there is a reminiscence of the Epic use of κλίνω. II. 10. 349, 50, ὡς ἄρα φωνήσαντε παρέξ ὁδοῦ ἐν νεκύεσσιν | κλινθήτην.

195. mvp-comment-118-1 The form ἑσθῶ is questionable in Attic, according to Thom. Mag. p. 483, and Phryn. p. 269. But the word ἐκαθέσθην, which was afterwards in common use, may be supposed to have had a source in the earlier language. And the alternative reading στῶ is less in accordance with what precedes and follows. For this question, as implied in οὕτως; has been already answered, and the rejoinder, λέχριός γ'. ὀκλάσας. is more natural, when supposed to give assent to a request to be allowed to sit. Shall I be seated? Yes, bending low adown upon the surface of the stone. λέχριος, not 'sideways, but simply opposed to ὀρθός, and probably connected by Sophocles with λέχος, i. e. halfrecumbent, bending; cp. Eur. Med. 1168, where it is used of a person ready to fall backwards. λέχριος conveys the general notion of a position other than upright.

196. mvp-comment-119-1 ὀκλάσας (der. from κλάω) gives the more particular notion of bending the limbs together, as one does who is on a low seat. Cp. Il. 13. 281, ἀλλὰ μετοκλάζει καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέρους πόδας ίζει :-of the coward in an ambush, who keeps shifting from one constrained position to another. The MSS. give 0 λάου, for which form, instead of dãos, the Schol. quotes the authority of Herodian.

197. mvp-comment-120-1 ἐν *ἡσυχαίᾳ If the metre is to correspond to l. 182, we must read thus for ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ. The words are commonly taken to mean, (1) Adjust thy step to my quiet tread,-Leaning forward thine aged body on my loving hand. i. e. Antigone presses her foot against her father's to steady him while he sits down, and, lest he should fall forward, supports him with her hand. But βάσει (which the Schol. interprets τῇ καθέδρᾳ) may be understood to mean the stone support for the foot attached to the seat. (2) Fit thy foot into its quiet resting-place. Cp. βήματος in 193.

197. mvp-comment-120-2 ἡσυχαίᾳ has then associations from 176-177, as well as from the general silence and peacefulness surrounding the grove. The repetition of the same word in a different sense would be less felt than if we said in English, Step on that step.' P

198. mvp-comment-121-1 ἅρμοσαι The MS. reading ἁρμόσαι is inconsistent with the following clause. There is now a pause. The chorus are relieved from their horror, but only to be more horror-stricken.

198. mvp-comment-121-2 στεί

202. mvp-comment-122-1 δύσφρονος Cruel. ἄτη personified. Ant. 185, τὴν ἄτην χουσαν. ..

203. mvp-comment-123-1 ὅτε νῦν χαλᾷς (1) ‘Now that X 2 there is an end of this trouble about you,' or (2) Now that there is an end of your troubles' For (1) cp. supr. 169. For the absolute use of xaλᾷs, see Essay on Language p. 88. Cp. Eur. Ion 637, εἴκειν ὁδοῦ χαλῶντα τοῖς κακίοσιν : Ar.

203. mvp-comment-123-2 Αν. 383, οἵδε τῆς ὀργῆς χαλἂν εἴξασιν.

204. mvp-comment-124-1 τίς ἔφυς βροτῶν τίς ἔφυς, like οἴσεις, supr. 166, is reading supplied by an early hand on the margin of L. For is sup supplementary predicate, cp. Ο. Τ. 151, τίς ἔẞas; And for ἔφus = εἶ φύσει, cp. Ο. Τ. 1015, παίς γ᾽ εἰ τῶνδε γεννητῶν ἔφυν. The reading of B, etc. is against metre. The same hand gives τίς ὁ πολύπονος ἄγει; which, (1) like τίς ἔφυς, is unlikely to have been invented, and is more forcible than τίς ὢν πολύπονος ἄγει; which is read in all MSS, and acknowledged by the Scholiast, but does not correspond to 186, τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστύγειν. (2) One interpretation of the Scholiast, τίς ὢν ἄγῃ ἀπὸ σῆς πόλεως; points to an ancient variation of reading, such as τίς ὢν ἄπολις ἄγει; which Blaydes suggests.

204. mvp-comment-124-2 ἀπόπτολις may have crept in from below. For τίς ὤν, cp. Aesch. Prom. 611, τίς ὤν, τίς ἄρα μ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἐτήτυμα προσθροεῖς;

211. mvp-comment-125-1 Nor search me out, inquiring farther. Cp. Od. 19. 116, μηδ' ἐμὸν ἐξερέεινε γένος καὶ πατρίδα γαίαν, | μή μοι μᾶλλον θυμὸν ἐνιπλήσῃς ὀδυνάων.

212. mvp-comment-126-1 τί τόδε; δεινὰ φύσις, αὔδα τί is extra metrum: cp. 1. 215. Elmsley conjectures τί δέ; κ.τ.λ.: cp. 1469. Herm. τί τοδ᾽; ΟΙ. αἰνά, κ.τ.λ. The former is the more probable of the two emendations. On φύσις in the sense of birth, see Essay on Language p. 91.

216. mvp-comment-127-1 ὤμοι ἐγώ, τί πάθω Il. 11.404, Od. 5. 465. Essay on Language § 45. p. 85.

217. mvp-comment-128-1 ἐπ᾿ ἔσχατα βαίνεις Your foot is on the verge, i. e. You are driven as it were to the edge of a precipice.

219. mvp-comment-129-1 Hermann's correction of this line is adopted without denying that some other (e. g. μέλλεις, Blaydes) may possibly be right.

220. mvp-comment-130-1 By simply rejecting lov from the Laurentian reading (i. e. λ. ἴ. τ. ἀ. -ὦ ὤ.), we might obtain a dactylic tetrameter, as in 224, 226, with a resolution of the 3rd arsis, for which, cp. Eur. Or. 1485, ἥσσονες ῾Ἑλλάδος ἐγενόμεθ᾽ αἰχμᾶς. But the regular alternation of the paroemiac with-0-0-0-gives a more probable rhythm. And ἀπόγονον may be a gloss on Λαΐου. If the several choreutae are supposed to speak in turn the line may have run: ΟΙ. Λαΐου ἴστε τιν'; ΧΟ. α΄. ὦ· ΧΟ. β'. ἰού, ἰού. And so Herm. read in 1839. For the sense, ср. О. Т. 1383, τὸν ἐκ θεῶν | φανέντ᾿ ἄναγνον καὶ γένους τοῦ Λαΐου : where the fatal birth from Laius makes the climax of horror.

224. mvp-comment-131-1 δύσμορος Alas. Oedipus, having been assured of peace, once more finds himself an outcast.

227. mvp-comment-132-1 ἃ δ᾽ ὑπέσχεο 176-177, But where will you make good your promise? i.e. But what becomes of your promise? Cp. Plat. Symp. 183 E.

229. mvp-comment-133-1 To no man cometh punishment from the fates for a matter in which he has been the first to suffer, that he κ.τ.λ. should be punished for this:' 1. ε. τίσις (τούτων), ὧν (genitive of relation) προπάθῃ, τὸ τίνειν, sc. τούτων τίσιν. Cp. infr. 271, ὅστις παθὼν μὲν ἀντέδρων, For the construction of ὧν, cp. Ant. 1194-1195, τί γάρ σε μαλθάσσοιμ᾽ ἄν, ὧν ἐσύστερον ψεῦσται φανούμεθ᾽; “For why should I soothe thee with a tale, in regard to which we shall presently be found false speakers?' See Essay on Language § 9. p. 13 This is better than (2) to make τίνειν = τίνεσθαι, ('nemo punitur ob injuriam prius acceptam, si eam rependit,' Herm., διὰ τὸ τιμωρεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν προπάθῃ. . λείπει ἡ διά, Schol.): or (3) to make τὸ τίνειν the object of προπάθῃ; retribution for an act, of which he has already suffered the retribution: or (4) taking the genitive as after προ in comp. to render, that he should suffer for an act previously to which he has been wronged.' The chorus feel the gravity of their position in breaking a promise made in presence of the Erinyes, but plead that it was made under a false impression. Cp. Aesch. Fr. 294, ἀπάτης δικαίας οὐκ ἀποστατεῖ θεός. The form μοιράδιος, see v. rr., is questionable.

230. mvp-comment-134-1 For the collocation of words, cp. Phil. 138, τέχνα γὰρ τέχνας ἑτέρας προὔχει: Eur. Bacch. 905, ἕτερα δ᾽ ἔτερος ἕτερον ὄλβῳ καὶ δυνάμει παρῆλθεν. But deception, matching deception, makes return, not of good, but of evil.

233. mvp-comment-135-1 τῶνδ᾽ ἑδράνων The exact words of the promise (supr. 176) are repeated in retracting the promise.

234. mvp-comment-136-1 ἄφορμος ἐμᾶς χθονός The explanation of the Scholiast, ἄφορμος, ἀφορμηθείς, has been commonly accepted; but the derivation from ὅρμος gives more point, and is supported by the language of Oedipus, supr. 148. (1) Leaving my land;' (2) Driven from the harbour of my land. 235. Lest you bring some further burden on my state. χρέος, lit, debt. obligation, here, by a litotes, the obligation of removing pollution.

237-253. mvp-comment-137-1 O religious-minded strangers, yet, seeing ye could not bear with this my aged sire. because the sound of deeds which he did unwittingly was in your ears, yet, sirs, have pity, we entreat you, on me, the hapless one, who pray you for my own father, pray, looking in thine eyes with no blank gaze (like a daughter who had sprung from your own blood), that the unfortunate may find mercy. We are in your hands, and you are in the place of God to us in our misery. Come then, vouchsafe the unhoped for boon. By what thou lovest, of thy very own, pray thee, child, help-mate, duty, sacred name. For look as closely as you will, you shall not find the mortal who can resist the leading of a God.

237-253. mvp-comment-137-2 The pleading glyconic rhythms of l. 207 ff., which were broken off by the discovery of Oedipus, are here renewed, and as they proceed are mingled with a rapid dactylic strain, which meets the impetuosity of the chorus in l. 229 ff. with corresponding earnestness. This combined movement has given rise to some doubt, and, in order to keep the dactylic verse continuous, some would read in 247, ἐν ὑμῖν ὡς θεῷ, or ἐν ὕμμι γὰρ ὡς θεῷ, and in 252, with Triclinius, οὐ γὰρ ἴδοις ἂν ἀθρῶν βροτόν. But the syncopated thesis and change of rhythm in both places, as in ll. 7, 14, may give the effect of lingering earnestness (τὸ λιπαρές) combined with the eagerness of her supplication. On the other hand the slight alteration of the last two lines, approved by Hermann, appears probable on comparing ll. 235-236. The MS. reading of 253 may be scanned Cp. infr. 1676, 1703. In comparing this passage with El. 236-250 on the one hand, and on the other with Phil. 1170-1217, Eur. Or. 1452-1503, we seem to trace the increasing use of monostrophic μέλη ἀπὸ σκηνῆς. From the Aj., Ant., O. T., Trach. this phenomenon is absent, except in such short epodes as Ant. 876-881, ἄκλαυτος, ἄφιλος .. οὐδεὶς φίλων στενάζει. In the scheme of metres on pp. 301-302, it has been thought better not to divide the strophes into parts. Their structure will be sufficiently evident to the student, although a sharp division between the main portion of each, and the prelude or conclusion, can hardly be maintained.

237. mvp-comment-138-1 αἰδόφρονες This is not merely a propitiatory epithet = as you are merciful, have mercy, but is addressed to the religious spirit which the chorus have shown. As you are full of reverence for the Gods, have respect to the suppliant.' Antigone appeals from the religion of custom to the religion of the heart, and the way is thus prepared for the rebuke of Oedipus in 277-278.

237. mvp-comment-138-2 ἀλλά opposes this last prayer to the expressed determination of the chorus. The second ἀλλά resumes this with a slightly different force, contrasting her own supplication with that of her father, which they had rejected.

238. mvp-comment-139-1 γεραιὸν [ἄλαον πατέρα τόνδ' ἐμόν] Supposing the second a of ἄλαον short, as in 149, 244, this line is an iambic pentapody.

240. mvp-comment-140-1 ἀκόντων = ἀκουσίων, cp. 977, πῶς *δἂν τὸ γ' ἶκον πρᾶγμ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως ψέγοις. Essay on Language $ 50. 3. P. 94. For the metaphorical use of αὐδά, see Essay on Language p. 97.

243. mvp-comment-141-1 The reading of B Vat. etc. gives a glyconic verse similar to 239, if the first ἄντομαι is transferred to the next line- πατρὸς ὑπὲρ τοὐμοῦ ἄντομαι ἄντομαι -. But this is hardly the most natural or rhythmical division. μόνου, if genuine, simply adds emphasis to τοὐμοῦ πατρός. For my own father. μόνοs is one of the favourite words of Sophocles. Essay on Language p. 96.

245. mvp-comment-142-1 ὥς τις, κ.τ.λ. i. e. Looking up to you with the frank reliance of a daughter. ὡς ἂν τῆς κοινῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἔχουσα τὸ συγγενές. Schol.

246. mvp-comment-143-1 τὸν ἄθλιον αἰδοῦς κῦρσαι These words are joined as an epexegesis or resumption with πατρὸς ὑπὲρ τοὐμοῦ ἄντομαι.

248. mvp-comment-144-1 Cp. Od. το. 69, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκέσασθε, φίλοι, δύναμις γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν: 13. 230-231, σοὶ γὰρ ἔγωγε | εύχομαι ὥς τε θεῷ. For the metre, cp. II. 242, 249, 252.

249. mvp-comment-145-1 νεύσατε is a poetical word, usually applied to the Gods.

249. mvp-comment-145-2 τὰν ἀδόκητον χάριν Unlooked for and therefore more prized. Cp. infr. 1104-1105, τὸ μηδαμὰ | ἐλπισθὲν ἥξειν σῶμα βαστάσαι δότε. 57

250. mvp-comment-146-1 πρός σ᾽ ὅ τι σοι φίλον Cp. Phil. 469, πρός τ' εἴ τι σοι κατ' οἶκόν ἐστι προσφιλές.

250. mvp-comment-146-2 ἐκ σέθεν] Coming from thyself. These words apply properly only to τέκνον, but are to be connected by a sort of zeugma in a more general sense with *λέχος, χρέος, θεός, just as τὰ ἔκ Tivos may mean all that is closely connected with him. Elmsley's conjecture οἴκοθεν deserves notice.

251. mvp-comment-147-1 ἢ τέκνον, ἢ *λέχος, ἢ χρέος It has been attempted to defend the MS. reading λόγος, by interpreting it suit, or petition. But λέχος, the conjecture of Reiske, accepted by Brunck and most editors, is probably right.

251. mvp-comment-147-2 χρέος Object of care.Antigone knows that property is dear to old men.

252. mvp-comment-148-1 βροτῶν was altered to βροτόν by Tricl. merely for the sake of the metre, and the comparison of ll. 242, 247 proves the change to have been unnecessary. See note on 237 ff. 254 ff These lines of the chorus, and the preceding speech of Antigone, were suspected by some ancient critics. But they are justly defended by the Scholiast, who observes that the passage was not obelized by Didymus. The lyrical interchange is followed as usual by a dialogue in senarii. Cp. esp. El. 251 ff. The chorus are ignorant of the divine purposes towards Oedipus, and are simply bent on defending the sacred precinct which is entrusted to their care. But they are not inhuman, and after the final appeal of Oedipus, who professes himself the saviour of Athens, they own that the matter is too hard for them, and are willing to refer it to Theseus as the supreme authority. 256, τὰ δ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν τρέμοντες] But fearing what the Gods may do. Cp. Hdt. 8. 15, τὸ ἀπὸ Ξέρξεω δειμαίνοντες. Y 261 ff. What value then has glory on the praise of men, that flows in unmeaning stream?' μάτην, i. e. without corresponding reality.

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.

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;

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,

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,

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.