193-396.
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193-396. First Episode. 193- 283. First Scene: Prometheus and the Coryphaeus. The scholiast says:
τὴν
ὑπόθεσιν (that is, the expo- sition of the events supposed to pre- cede the opening of the play)
βουλό-
μενος
διδάξαι,
τὸ
περίεργον (curiosity)
τοῦ
γυναικώδους
ήθους
προσέλαβεν (availed himself of, as a motive).
οὐκ
ἂν
γὰρ
ὁ
᾿Ὠκεανds (who enters later)
ἠξίωσεν
ἐρωτῆσαι
εἰδώς. The curiosity of the chorus is a natural conse- quence of their awakened sympathy. Still it is to be observed that Prome- theus on his part is moved to tell his story by the longing to unburden his heart to sympathizing friends (see 198). He needs only the request in order to comply at once. - The Pro- logue and this first scene of the first episode constitute the first act of the drama, which expounds the situation and prepares the way for the follow- ing dramatic development.
277-283.
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277-283. The anapaests of the chorus accompany the action of the machinery by which Oceanus is brought on the scene. See on 114-127.
279.
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279.
καί: and so, accordingly.
282.
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282 f.
πελῶ: future of
πελάζω.
πόνους . . .
διὰ
παντὸς
ἀκοῦσαι: as promised in 272. Compliance with this request follows much later, 755 ff. and in the speech beginning at 823. Curiosity and expectation are thus maintained.
284-396.
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284-396. Second Scene of the First Episode. Oceanus, father of the Oceanids, enters (from the right), mounted upon a winged steed
(τετρασκελής
οἰωνός 395) like 285.
290 Pegasus. The scholiast understands a griffin, because of this word
οἰωνός, but
sea-gods, in older Greek art, are often seen riding on hippocamps or
sea-horses. The machine here used was the
αἰώρημα, a sort of crane with hanging ropes, by which persons could be swung aloft, moved through the air, and let down again. The scholiast remarks,
καιρὸν
δίδωσι
τῷ
χορῷ
καθήκασθαι
(καθιμᾶσθαι ?)
τῆς
μηχανῆς
᾿Ὠκεανὸς
ἐλθών·
ὑπερβολῇ
δὲ
ἐχρήσατο,
ὅπου
γε
Ὅμηρος
οὐκ
εἰσήγα-
γεν
᾿Ὠκεανὸν
εἰς
τὸν
σύλλογον
τῶν
θεῶν (on this cp. Il. xx. 7
οὔτε
τις
οὖν
Ποταμῶν
ἀπέην
νόσφ᾽
᾿Ὠκεανοῖο). The anapaests of Oceanus accompany the descent of the chorus from their chariot into the orchestra. - This scene and the second episode form the second act, the beginning of the action which leads to the catastrophe. See on 307 and 436.
284.
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284.
δολιχῆς : an epic word. The way is long because Oceanus comes from the depths of the sea. Cp. 300 f.
285.
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285.
διαμειψάμενος : cp. Sept. 334
δια-
μεῖψαι
ὁδόν, 856
δι᾽
᾿Αχέροντ᾽
ἀμείβεται
τὰν
ναύστολον
θεωρίδα. ‘Dicendum erat
κέλευθον
διαμείβεσθαι, pro quo
τέρμα
κελεύθου dixit ratione habita verbi
ἥκω' (Dindorf). Cp. Eur. Phoen. 163
εἴθε
δρόμον
νεφέλας
ποσὶν
ἐξανύσαιμι
δι᾽
αἰθέρος
πρὸς
ἐμὸν
ὁμογενέ-
τορα.
286.
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286.
πτερυγωκή: formed like
πο-
δώκης. Cp.
ὠκύπτερος.
287.
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287.
γνώμῃ : 'admirationis augen- dae causa non brutus, sed mente ac ratione praeditus esse fingitur' (Schütz). In Il. xviii. 419, the golden handmaids of Hephaestus are endowed with reason, speech, and power of action; in Od. viii. 556, the ships of the Phaeacians sail
τιτυσκό-
μεναι
φρεσί, and we are told that
αὐταὶ
ἴσασι
νοήματα
καὶ
φρένας
ἀνδρῶν. As these ships need neither helms- man nor rudder, so Oceanus's steed needs no bit, because of its own ac- cord it obeys the will
(γνώμη) of its rider.
289.
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289 f.
τὸ
συγγενὲς
ἐσαναγκάζει : cp. 39. According to Hesiod Theog. 133, Oceanus is son of Uranus and
295.
309
305 Gaea, and the oldest of the Titans. See on 14. -
γένους : =
τῆς
συγγε-
νείας.
291.
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291 f.
ὅτῳ ...
νείμαιμι : without av, as Ag. 620
οὐκ
ἔσθ᾽
ὅπως
λέξαιμι, Cho. 172
οὐκ
ἔστιν
ὅστις
πλὴν
ἐμοῦ
κείραιτό
νιν, Il. xxii. 348
ὡς
οὐκ
ἔσθ᾽
ὃς
σῆς
γε
κύνας
κεφαλῆς
ἀπαλάλκοι, Soph. Phil. 692
οὐκ
ἔχων
βάσιν
οὐδέ
τιν᾿
ἐγχώρων
κακογείτονα,
παρ᾽
ᾧ
στόνον
ἀποκλαύ-
σειεν, Eur. Alc. 52
ἔστ᾽
οὖν
ὅπως
῎Αλ-
κηστις
εἰς
γῆρας
μόλοι; 117
οὐδὲ
ναυ-
κληρίαν
ἔσθ᾽
ὅποι TIS
αἴας
στείλας
δυστάνου
παραλύσαι
ψυχάν. GMT.241; Krüger II. § 54, 3, 8. –
μοῖραν
νεί-
μαιμι: cp. Hdt. ii. 172
ἐν
οὐδεμιῇ
μοίρῃ
μεγάλῃ
ἦγον, Plat. Crat. 398 b
μεγά-
λην
μοῖραν
καὶ
τιμὴν
ἔχει. This sense of dignity, station, rank was devel- oped from the meaning due share, just due. Cp. Soph. Trach. 1238
ἁνὴρ
ὅδ᾽,
ὡς
ἔοικεν,
οὐ
νεμεῖν
ἐμοὶ
φθίνοντι
μοῖραν.
294.
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294.
χαριτογλωσσεῖν : see on 180.
ἔνι
μοι : 'tis my nature; cp. 224.