293. Τρίτων was in the stories of Athena a Libyan lake from which she was supposed to have sprung; afterwards identified with the large salt lake in the south of Tunis.

298. γένοιτο , regular sequence after ἔλθοι. In English we say May she come, and therefore naturally have the primary sequence, that she may prove .

301. ὅπου φρενῶν , where in the heart it lies.

302. δαιμόνων is the powers below, i, e. both the Furies who will drink his blood and Hades (1. 274) who ordains and directs the vengeance.

302. σκιάν , a shadow, not a ghost, for he was to be carried off below yet living (1. 267): but all the vigour sucked out of him with his blood. [Schol. reads σκιά with MSS., and takes it voc. Unlikely.]

306. ὕμνον δέσμιον σέθεν , the song that binds thee, the choric song acting as an infernal spell to make Orestes their prey: and perhaps accompanied by mysterious binding gestures.

309. δεδόκηκεν , 'tis our resolve, poetic form for regular δέδοκται.

310. λάχη might be the office of the Furies, as Cho. 360: but with ἐπινωμᾷ it makes better sense to refer it to ἀνθρώπους. How our troop assigns the lots of men.

310. στάσις , as Choeph. 114, 458.

374. κατὰ γᾶν , on earth, is the MS. reading: but as Hermann said, the sense below the earth, κατὰ γᾶs, is required in antithesis to ὑπ᾿ αἰθέρι. The same mistake occurs again 11. 838, 871. 11. 375, 376. Bold and imaginative expressions :

i.e. [their human glories come to naught] when we the Furies attack them and weave these magic dances which make them our captive (as we are doing to Orestes).

mvp-comment-209-1 Λιβυστικοῖς: Libri ßvorizois. Ea adiectivi forma Aeschylus usus est in Suppl. v. 266. et in Myrmidonibus fr. 145. Tzetzes ad Lycophr. v. 519. καὶ Αἰσχύλος μυθικῶς “ εἶτ᾽ ἀμφὶ χεῦμα γενεθλίου σπόρου Τρίτωνος ἐν τόποις Λιβυστίοις,” ita enim codices duo Vitebergenses aliique et Favorinus in v. tqiyέvvytos. Auratus et Casaubonus scribendum putarunt Aißvotizs. Eo non opus est: zooaç enim, ut saepius in huiusmodi formulis, abundat.

mvp-comment-210-1 χεῦμα ... πόρου: ἀμφιχεῦμα Ald. σπόρου Tzetzes.

mvp-comment-211-1 κατηρεφῆ: zatŋoeg лóda si scripsit Aeschylus, non videtur aliud significare potuisse quam pedem nube amictum, ut hoc dixerit, sive palam incedens, sive latens opem fert amicis, oppositumque sit ỏo òv nóða Tidéra, i. e. recto pede in campo stare, inter ipsos quibus praesidio est. Comparari quodammodo potest quod Sophocles dixit in Oed. R. v. 419. βλέποντα νῦν μὲν ὄρθ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ σκότον. V. Opusc. VI. 2. p. 56. seqq. VII. p. 4. seq. Dubitari tamen potest an non scripserit Aeschylus xaτηorqй. Et videri potest aliud legisse scholiastes qui haec ita interpretatus est, καταβάλλει γὰρ ἡ ὀρθοῖ, quod scholion non invenitur in M. G. sed Triclinii esse videtur. Burgesius zaraqεon, similiterque Fritzschius (Zweiter anhang zu O. Müllers Eumeniden p. 39.) zaτηfεoñ scribendum esse censuit, ut intelligeretur Minerva aut stans inter eos quibus praesidio est, aut deorsum ex aere delata. Neque caret haec con-. iectura probabilitate.

mvp-comment-212-1 ὅπως γένοιτο: Quum dicit önws yévoito, optare se ait, ut veniat illa, quo, si velit, opem ferat. V. ad Soph. Ai. v. 1222.

mvp-comment-213-1 οὔτοι σ' Ἀπόλλων οὐδ᾽ Ἀθηναίας σθένος ῥύσαιτ᾽ ἂν ὥςτε μὴ οὐ παρημελημένον ἔρρειν, τὸ χαίρειν μὴ μαθόνθ' ὅπου φρενῶν, ἀναίματον βόσκημα τῶνδε δαιμόνων.: Hos versus inter tres Furias distribuendos esse indicavi in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 61. τῶνδέ μοι Farn. ovtis o Ven. Farn. et adscripto in margine yo. ovτoi σè Flor. Deinde vains Farn. áðŋvalois Ven. et ad ultimam syllabam supra adscripto as Flor. Jos tε pro stɛ Ald. qui tam mirus error ex eo ortus est, quod in G. quum librarius neglecto çre scripsisset in, statim autem animadverso errore hanc voculam mutasset in wore, confusi ductus litterarum un et a negligentius considerati speciem praebent similem litterarum ρου. μαθῶν θ' Rob. Libri αναίματον βόσκημα δαιμόνων σκιά. Scholiastes ἀναίματον ita interpretatur, simul aliam lectionem, ἐναίματον, commemorans, ὁ μηδὲ αἷμα σχήσων ἐξ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ γενησόμενος σκιά· οφήσομεν γάρ σου τὸ αἷμα (conf. v. 261.). ἢ ἐναίματον, ἀντὶ τοῦ. ζῶντά σε νεκρὸν ποιήσομεν. Heathii coniecturam, σκιάν, Schutzius recepit, post δαιμόνων commate interpungens, ut δαίμονες intelligerentur Furiae. Verum sic σκιάν languidius adiectum est. Quare olim ita interpunxi, αναίματον βόσκημα, δαιμόνων σκιάν, ut acerbe diceretur Orestes futurus esse umbra dei alicuius, quemadmodum in Iliade V.242. de diis dicitur τούνεκ' αναίμονές εισι. Postea in Annalium Vindobonensium vol. CXI. p. 250. aliam et, ut puto, veriorem rationem ineundam esse ostendi. Nam δαίμονες dicuntur sane Furiae: sed accuratius definiendum erat illud δαιμόνων. Quod autem libri habent, σκιά, ex interpretatione in ipsius poetae versum illatum est. Quare scripsi, ἀναίματον βόσκημα τῶνδε δαιμόνων.

mvp-comment-214-1 ἀλλ᾽: οὐδ pro ἀλλ' Ven. Flor.

mvp-comment-215-1 καθιερωμένος: καθιερωμένος Ald. Addidi interrogationis signum. V. Opusc. VI. 2. p. 61. VII. p. 19.

mvp-comment-216-1 καὶ ζῶν με δαίσεις, οὐδὲ πρὸς βωμῷ σφαγείς: Hunc et sequentem versum choro continuandum esse vidit Stanleius. In G. Ald. Turn. Apollini tributi sunt. In M. versui 302. lineola praefixa est. Nulla personae nota in Ven. Flor. καὶ ζῶν μἐδαίσεις Ven. Farn. πρὸς βοροσφαγείς codex Robortelli: ipse ex Sophiani emendatione dedit προς βωμῷ σφαγείς, quod est in celeris libris.

mvp-comment-217-1 ὕμνον δ᾽ ἀκούσει: ὕμνον ἀκούση Ven. ὕπνον ἀκούσῃ Flor. Ceteri ὕμνον δ᾽ ἀκούσῃ.

mvp-comment-218-1 ἄγε δὴ: Chori nota adscripta est in M. G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. Turn. Hos anapaestos constare ex systemate et antisystemate atque epodo ostendi in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 63.

mvp-comment-219-1 δεδόκηκεν: δεδόκηκεν Μ. G. δεδόκηκε Turn. δεδόκημεν Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-220-1 λάχη τὰ: λάχητα κατ' Αld.

mvp-comment-221-1 ὡς ἐπινωμᾷ ... ἀμά: ὡς ἐπὶ νωμᾷ G. ὡς ἐπὶ νομᾶ Ald. In fine versus libri ἅμα, Canteri emendatio est αμά.

mvp-comment-100-1 Τρίτωνος] The name of the goddess, Tritogenia, the real or mystical meaning of which we do not know, was referred to a lake and river Triton in Libya. See Herod. Iv. 180 , Pind. Pyth. 1v. 36 .

mvp-comment-101-1 ὀρθὸν κ.τ.λ.] The description refers to ancient statues of the goddess in a standing or sitting posture. - φίλοις, in allusion perhaps to the aid afforded by Athens to the EUM. Libyan king Inaros. See Thuc. 1. 104, 109 . The Schol. remarks that the address well suits Orestes who himself requires a staunch protectress.

mvp-comment-102-1 Φλεγραίαν] Another epithet of the goddess, Νίκη, is here alluded to, as appears from Eur. Ion 1528

mvp-comment-103-1 ὅπως γένοιτο] The optative follows ἔλθοι by the common law of Attic attraction.

mvp-comment-104-1 οὔτοι κ.τ.λ.] 'No! not Apollo nor yet Athene's might can protect you from perishing (going to the bad') in utter neglect, without knowing the feeling of joy in your mind,a bloodless victim of us deities, a shadow of your former self.' There is a pause after this, and as Orestes makes no reply, the second Fury says, What! not a word in reply? Do you spurn converse, you who are fed and consecrated as my victim? The third adds, A victim too who shall be devoured alive, &c. Then the whole body of the chorus chant the spell, or binding hymn, which is to entrance the victim and place him wholly in their power. The fourteen introductory anapaestics form the parode.

mvp-comment-105-1 τραφείς] There is an allusion to the human victims called φαρμακοὶ οι δημόσιοι, who were sacrificed by the Athenians at the feast of Thargelia. See Photius in v. φαρμακός.

mvp-comment-106-1 ἄψωμεν] This clearly shows that dancing movements accompanied the music and singing. -ἐπεὶ κ.τ.λ., since we have resolved to show what we can do in doleful music, lit. to make a display of a hateful (joyless) strain. An Ionic form is used in place of the Attic δέδοκται (see Veitch, Gr. V. p. 199 ). -στυγερὰν, Schol.

mvp-comment-107-1 στάσις] 'our company, Ag. 1086 , Cho. 106 . —ἐπινωμᾷ, allots, distributes, the various fortunes that prevail among man. The Schol. explains ἐπισκοπεῖ.

mvp-comment-118-1 ὅτι

mvp-comment-119-1 ὡς θρασὺς (auf ein x bezüglich) διὰ τοῦτο οἴεται αὐτὴν Τριτογένειαν. ἡγεμών. ἁρμόττουσα δὲ ἡ εὐχή· δεῖται γὰρ ἐνδρανοῦς (L. Dindorf f. έδρανοῦς) βοηθοῦ.

mvp-comment-120-1 τὸ ἑξῆς· ἔλθοι, ὅπως γένοιτο.

mvp-comment-121-1 ὁ μηδὲ αἷμα σχήσων ἐξ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ γενησόμενος σκιά· ῥοφήσομεν γάρ σου τὸ αἷμα. ἢ ἐναίματον, ἀντὶ τοῦ ζῶντά σε νεκρὸν ποιήσομεν.

mvp-comment-122-1 οὐκ ἀποκρίνηι, ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ) οὐδὲ ἀντιφωνήσεις μοι, ἀλλὰ σοῦ βουλομένου λαλεῖν τὸ φθέγμα δεθήσεται.

mvp-comment-123-1 ὡς ἐπὶ νεκρῶι.

mvp-comment-124-1 τοὺς κλήρους ἡμῶν (Vict. f. ὑμῶν). ἀπὸ κοινοῦ δὲ τὸ δεδόκηκεν.

mvp-comment-161-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-161-2 zweites Epeisodion. Orestes ruft Athena zu Hilfe. Die Chorführerin weist jeden Beistand zurück.

mvp-comment-171-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-171-2 Die Gottheit hört gern von den Stätten, wo sie besonders verehrt wird. Daher ist bei Anrufungen der Götter die Aufzählung solcher Örtlichkeiten beliebt. Vgl. Soph. Ant. 1118 f. Mit εἴτε — εἴτε, wie hier, Aristoph. Wo. 269

steht wie ein einziger Begrif, daher Λιβυστικοῖς. Vgl. ποῖον . . γαίας πέδον Sept. 291

, χθονὸς . . τηλουρόν. . πέδον

Prom. 1

τὸ Πυθικὸν Θεοῦ μαντείον

Soph. Oed. T. 242

ὄγκον ὀνόματος μητρῷον

Trach. 817

, Ηπειρώτις ψυχὴ γυναικῶν

Eur. Andr. 159 u. Ähnliches oft, z. B. unten 327.

mvp-comment-172-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-172-2 γενεθλίου: Schol. ( σημείωσαι) ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο οἴεται αὐτὴν Τριτογένειαν. Nach Herod. IV 180 (vgl. Paus. I 14, 6 ) glaubten die am Tritonischen See wohnenden Auseer (indem sie eine ihrer Gottheiten mit Athena identifizierten) τὴν ᾿Αθηναίην Ποσειδέωνος εἶναι θυγατέρα καὶ τῆς Τριτωνίδος λίμνης. Dals Aschylos der gewöhnlichen Sage sich anschliefst, zeigt 667 f. Er scheint also den Ort der Geburt an den See oder vielmehr Strom ( πόρου) Triton zu verlegen. In Wirklichkeit ist es ur- sprünglich die gleiche Vorstellung, wenn Athena als Blitzgöttin dem Haupte des Wolkensammlers Zeus, dem Wolkenberge, und wenn sie der Tritonischen See, den himmlischen Wassern, entstammt. Denn dafs die Tritonische See ursprünglich am Himmel war, ergiebt sich schon daraus, dafs sie nicht nur in Libyen, sondern auch anderwärts angenommen wurde ( Paus. VIII 26, 6 u. IX 33, 7, Strab. IX p. 407 ). Vgl. Schwartz, Der Ursprung der Mythologie. S. 87.

mvp-comment-173-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-173-2 τίθησιν . . πόδα erklärt man ,,aufrecht schreitet oder sitzt" (vgl. Hom. p 158 ἥμενος ἢ ἕρπων), weil der sitzenden Göttin die Füfse mit dem Gewande bedeckt sind. Aber eine solche Erklärung von κατηρεφῆ ist mindestens weit hergeholt. In der Deutung von Dutheil „visible ou invisible" und Hermann: sive palam incedens sive latens ( Hom. E 186

) opem fert amicis, worin κατηρεφής der durch eine Wolke verhüllte Fufs sein soll, lässt sich ỏodóv schwer verstehen. Es scheint vielmehr ὀρθὸν πόδα den hohen, gleichsam steilen Fufs (vgl. ὀρθόπους Soph. Ant. 985 ) der hochgeschürzten Göttin zu bezeichnen, wie sich κατηρεφῆ auf das lange Gewand bezieht.

mvp-comment-174-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-174-2 φίλοις ἀρήγουσα: Der Dichter scheint weniger an die Auseer als an die Athener zu denken, welche dem libyschen König Inaros zu Hilfe gezogen waren ( Thuk. I 104 ff. ). Vgl. die ähnliche Anspielung auf Zeitverhältnisse in Eur. El. 1347 νώ δ᾽ ἐπὶ πόντον Σικελὸν σπουδῇ σώσοντε νεῶν πρῴρας ἐνάλους. Φλεγραίαν πλάκα, Schauplatz des Gigantenkampfes, bei welchem Athena, Φλεγραίων ὀλέ τειρα Γιγάντων (Prokl. hymn. 32), unter anderen den Enkelados tötete ( Eur. Ion 209 ).

mvp-comment-175-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-175-2 κλύει θεός, es hört ein Gott auch in der Ferne. Vgl. Eur. Iph. T. 1447 κλύεις γὰρ αὐδὴν καίπερ οὐ παρὼν θεᾶς. Vielleicht hat ursprünglich πρόσωθεν οὖσ όμως geheilsen. es

mvp-comment-175-3 ¹

mvp-comment-176-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-176-2 γένοιτο nach ἔλθοι, s. g. Assimilation der Modi. Vgl. Soph. Ai. 1217

, Krüger I § 54, 8, 3 .

mvp-comment-177-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-177-2 παρημελημένον d. i. so dafs keiner nach dir fragt ( ἄιστον ἄπυστον). Sept. 689

.

mvp-comment-178-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-178-2 ,,Ohne erfahren zu haben wo im Herzen die Freude wohnt“, weil du keine Freude genieſsen wirst. Vgl. 426 ὅπου τὸ χαίρειν μηδαμοῦ νομίζεται. Etwas anders Soph. Oed. K. 1217

.

mvp-comment-179-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 274

mvp-comment-179-2 Du eine blutleere Weide, nur Schatten von solchen die Blut haben, erwiderst mir nicht einmal?

mvp-comment-180-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-180-2 καὶ ζῶν . . οὐδὲ . . σφαγείς, sogar lebend und nicht erst geschlachtet. οὐδὲ für καὶ οὐ wie öfter bei Dichtern ( Krüger II § 69, 60 ). μὲ δαίσεις wie Eur. Or. 15

mvp-comment-180-3 ²

mvp-comment-181-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-181-2 δέσμιον σέθεν wie δέσμιος φρενῶν 333: zu Cho. 235 . Der besinnungraubende" Gesang der Erinyen ,, schlingt die Bande um den Frevler". Der Ausdruck erinnert an magische Künste (vgl. Plat. Ges. XI p. 933 A μαγγανείαις καὶ ἐπῳδαῖς καὶ καταδέσεσι).

mvp-comment-182-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-182-2 Unter der Begleitung der Anapäste, welche der Koryphaios vorträgt, ordnet sich der Chor in Reih und Glied, um sein Bannlied (322 ff.) zu singen und mit entsprechendem Tanz zu begleiten, indem die Figuren ( σχήματα) des Reigens, besonders bei den Ephymnien, die Idee des Bannenden und Bestrickenden zum Ausdruck bringen.

mvp-comment-183-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-183-2 δεδόκηκεν wie Prom. 402

, Sept. 1027

δοκησάτω

, Eur. Med. 763

δεδόκησαι

u. a.

mvp-comment-184-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-184-2 Schol. δεδόκηκεν ἡμῖν λέξαι τίνα τρόπον τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους λάχη ἐφοδεύομεν. Vielmehr steht λάχη (,,das mir zugefallene Amt) wie 335, 348, 389, wie es 931 τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους ἔλαχον διέπειν heifst. - ἐπινωμᾷ: ἐπισκοπεῖ und στάσις: σύστημα Schol.

Τρίτων was in the stories of Athena a Libyan lake from which she was supposed to have sprung; afterwards identified with the large salt lake in the south of Tunis.

mvp-sidgwick-149-2-1 The story very likely arose out of the obscure Homeric epithet for Athena, Τριτογένεια, which perhaps meant born of the water, and anyhow was not clearly understood by the later Greeks.

mvp-sidgwick-150-1-1 Whether with upright step or covered foot: whether standing as in the ordinary statues or covering her feet, i.e. sitting. Pal. quotes Strabo (13. 1) as saying

mvp-sidgwick-150-2-1 This seems the best interpretation of an obscure passage.

mvp-sidgwick-150-3-1 Weil suggests the allusion is to the Athenian war in Egypt, in support of the Libyan chieftain Inaros, who had rebelled against Persia; a large Athenian fleet was sent out in 460, two years before this play. This explains φίλοις ἀρήγουσ᾽.

mvp-sidgwick-151-1-1 The Phlegraean plain is the narrow promontory of Pallene in Chalkidike, north east of Greece. The story was that the gods here fought the giants; a story as old as Pindar (Nem. 1. 100), in which fight we gather that the warrior goddess Athena marshalled the hosts.

mvp-sidgwick-151-2-1 The name Phlegraean plain was afterwards given to the volcanic coast of Campania, which some strangely have supposed to be meant here.

γένοιτο , regular sequence after ἔλθοι. In English we say May she come, and therefore naturally have the primary sequence, that she may prove.

ὅπου φρενῶν , where in the heart it lies.

mvp-sidgwick-154-1-1 A bloodless victim she calls Orestes, consistently with the threat ( ll. 264, 267

), I will drain thee dry and carry thee below.

δαιμόνων is the powers below, i, e. both the Furies who will drink his blood and Hades ( l. 274

) who ordains and directs the vengeance.

σκιάν , a shadow, not a ghost, for he was to be carried off below yet living ( l. 267

): but all the vigour sucked out of him with his blood. [Schol. reads σκιά with MSS., and takes it voc. Unlikely.]

mvp-sidgwick-155-1-1 Orestes maintains a patient and scornful silence: which rouses the Chorus to still greater fury. There would be a dramatic pause before this line; then the furious threat l. 305

. There is no need to divide the speech between different speakers, as Hartung, Paley, and others, following M. G.

ὕμνον δέσμιον σέθεν , the song that binds thee, the choric song acting as an infernal spell to make Orestes their prey: and perhaps accompanied by mysterious binding gestures.

δεδόκηκεν , 'tis our resolve, poetic form for regular δέδοκται.

λάχη might be the office of the Furies, as Cho. 360 : but with ἐπινωμᾷ it makes better sense to refer it to ἀνθρώπους. How our troop assigns the lots of men.

στάσις , as Choeph. 114, 458 .