Aeschylus Eumenides 307

189. μύζουσιν οἰκτισμὸν πολύν , ‘make sore and piteous moaning,' a terribly graphic expression for the slow torture of impalement.

191. ἑορτῆς . depends on στέργηθρα: what manner of feast it is ye love, loathed of the gods [lit. what... loving, ye are loathed ...].

192. ὑφηγεῖται , lit. leads to it: i. e. shews it.

195. πλησίοισι , ‘close at hand,' seems rather a feeble word and is perhaps corrupt: though none of the suggestions (πλουσίοισι Pauw., πανθύτοισι Mein., Πυθίοισι Mart., and many others worse) are convincing: Πυθίοισι perhaps the best.

195. τρίβεσθαι μύσος , rub off their foul pollution, a forcible and contemptuous phrase.

201. τοσοῦτο , i. e. as to explain.

203. πρᾶξαι , to exact, plainly the right word here: MSS. read πέμψαι, ‘to send, which is explained as meaning to Agamemnon: but that would surely require τῷ πατρί. τί μήν; lit. 'what then?' i. e. 'why not?' So, e. g. Plat. Theaet. 145 ἢ οὐχ ἅπερ οἱ ἐπιστήμονες ταῦτα καὶ σοφοί ; (answer) τί μήν;

209. κόμπασον γέρας καλόν , ironical: 'go boast thy glorious office!'

211. ἥτις νοσφίσῃ , a woman who slays: the subjunctive indefinite, because, as frequently, the special case is (rhetorically) put in general terms. The absence of av is Epic usage, common in Trag. and found even in Attic prose, οὗ βραχεῖς ἀρκῶσι Thuc. 4. 17, οἵτινες νομίσωσι 4. 18, ᾧ μὴ ᾖ Plat. Phaedr. 247 B.

212. αὐθέντης φόνος , ‘the murder of a kinsman; ' the most fearful pollution according to the Greek view: so much so that a sharp distinction was drawn (as here) between the murder of a husband (not an ὅμαιμος) and the murder of a mother.

222. ἐνθυμουμένην , ‘taking to heart.'

223. πράσσουσαν ἡσυχαιτέραν , ' more remiss in act, the adj. by a common poetic variation for adv. with verb. Somewhat similarly in prose σχολαῖος, χρόνιος, ἄσμενος, etc., are used adverbially.

224. δίκας ἐποπτεύσει , shall watch the pleadings, i. e. direct the trial.' δίκαι plural is usually pleas of right, not vengeance. So δίκας κλύοντες Ag. 813, 'hearing the cause : ' κραίνετε δίκας Cho. 462, ὑστάτας δίκας Suppl. 230, the last trial.

226. δ᾽ οὖν , ‘well then,' impatient and contemptuous. So Prom. 935 ὁ δ᾽ οὖν ποιείτω. τίθου (‘put or make for yourself,' middle), get. πλέω must be read for MSS. πλέον. In Ag. 1299 we have the opposite blunder of the copyist, χρόνῳ πλέω for χρόνον πλέω: mistakes constantly arising from terminations being erroneously assimilated.

228. ὥστε , 202.

230. δίκας μέτειμι τόνδε , i.e. I will sue for justice on him; δίκας being a rather strange sort of internal acc., the δίκαι or pleadings shewing the nature of the pursuit; see line 224. The phrase implies. that the Eumenides are going to submit to a trial: δίκην μέτειμι τόνδε would mean simply I will visit vengeance on his head. μέτειμι and μετελθεῖν are used with three kinds of accusatives, the trial or vengeance, the crime, and the criminal. Here we have trial and criminal: μετῆλθόν σ᾽ αἷμα Eur. Or. 423 (crime and criminal): so ἁρπαγὰς μετήλθετ᾽ Ἰλίου πόλιν Eur. Cycl. 280: Ag. 1666 (criminal only), Cho. 996 (crime only). *

234. εἰ προδῶ , Epic use of eἰ with subj. So εἰ κρανθῇ πρᾶγμα Suppl. 91, μηδ᾽ εἰ στράτευμα πλεῖον ᾖ Pers. 791, εἰ μὴ τοῖον τύχῃ Supp. 400. [Apollo retires : and the Chorus leave the stage. Then the scene is changed to Athens: the temple of Athena Polias on the Acropolis: Orestes enters and kneels as a suppliant before the statue of Athena in the front.] This change of scene, being from one temple to another, would only require the alteration of the side scenes or περίακτοι. These were prismatic or three-sided scenes which were turned round to exhibit different surroundings: rather a primitive device. The altar and temple would remain; only the statues would have to be changed (242). [235-243. SCENE II, Part 1. Orestes prays for protection.]

237. προστρόπαιον , guilty here: see note on 1. 41. ἀφοίβαντον, ‘uncleansed,' from φοῖβος, bright (of course here with reference to the god). (Theocr. uses φοιβάω, to cleanse, later writers φοιβάζω : and φοιβαίνω is found in lexicographers.)

248. φυσιᾷ σπλάγχνον , my heart gasps, loaded and emphatic diction. ἀνδροκμῆσιν has nothing to do with Orestes (as H. Mors.): it is simply, as Schol. understands it, right wearisome.

250. ἀπτέροις . : the Eumenides were not winged, 1. 51.

254. προσγελᾷ , delights : the bold figure not Aeschylean specially, but belonging to the Greek idiom : so σὲ τὰ φυτὰ προσγελάσεται Ar. Pax 600. It is exactly the Lat. adrideo.

256. ἀτίτας , unpunished: lit. unpaying (act.) as Aeschylus always uses τίνω of the culprit who pays penalty. [The word seems used in pass. sense Ag, 72.]

259. πλεχθείς , ‘twined,' a strong word, describing Orestes' despairing clasp of the image.

261-263. δυσαγκόμιστον for δυσανάκομ- : the poetic use

261-263. χαμαί for χαμαὶ ὄν, and Epic passive form χύμενος, cf. Cho. 401.

264. ῥοφεῖν , epexegetic for us to drink.

270. τιν᾿ . ἀσεβῶν is perhaps incomplete, as coming between two dochmiacs it probably should be one itself. The neatest suggestion for completing it is Hermann's τιν᾿ οὐκ εὐσεβῶν. But in the uncertainty of the metre I have left the reading as the MSS. have it, especially as τιν' ἀσεβῶν is a resolved cretic, and we have cretics introduced l. 262, and l.266.

277. καὶ λέγειν , i. e. and I know where it is right to speak. The double construction of ἐπίσταμαι is perhaps a little harsh, but there is no reason to suspect it.

285. ἀβλαβεῖ , harmless; proving that he was purified.

290. αὐτόν , myself: the 'me' is not wanted after emphatic ἐμοί

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.

319. πράκτορες , avengers, from πράσσειν in the special sense 'to exact a debt.' So τὸν πατρὸς φόνον πράξαντα 1. 624, χερὶ πράκτορι Ag. 111. For the masc. form πράκτωρ with fem. substantive cf. line 186.

320. τελέως , unfailingly: it goes with παραγιγ. πρακ. and expresses the persistent and complete vengeance.

322. ἀλαοῖσι καὶ δεδορκόσιν , the sightless and the seeing, i. e. the dead and the living. So δερκομένοισι καὶ δυσομμάτοις 1. 388.

326. ματρῷον ἅγνισμα κύριον φόνου , rightful atonement for a mother's blood ματρῷον poetically transferred from φόνου to ἄγνισμα, as the thought comes naturally in that order 'expiation for a mother for her blood.' ...

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-135-1 παίδων τε χλοῦνις, ἠδ᾽ ἀκρωνία, λευσμόν: παίδων κακοῦται χλοῦνις ἠδ᾽ (ἡδ᾽ Rob.) ἀκρωνία M. G. Par. Ven. Flor. Rob. et haud dubie etiam Farn. παίδων κακοῦ τελλοῦνις ἠδ᾽ ἀκρωνία Ald. παίδων, κακοῦ τε χλοῦνις ἠδ᾽, ἀκρωνία Turn. Scholia in M. haec adscripta sunt χλοῦνις ἀκρωνία (sic M. G.). ἀκμαῖα ἀποκοπή, παρὰ τὴν χλόην, ἢ ἐπεὶ χλοῦνις ὁ σᾶς· κάπροι δὲ συνεχῶς εὐνουχίζονται· διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀποκοπὴν συϊκὴν εἶπεν, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην. Deinde ad ακρωνία adscriptum ἐκτομή μορίων, et in alia parte marginis κακῶν ἄθροισις, ἢ λιθοβολίας (sic M.). Ηρωδιανός δὲ τὸ σύστημα καὶ ἄθροισμα. Fuerunt quibus ακρωνία idem esse videretur atque ἀκρωτηριασμός. Sed haec interpretatio idoneo auctore caret. Contra cum Herodiani explicatione consentiunt fere aliorum grammaticorum testimonia. Lexicon Seguerianum in Bekkeri Anecd. p. 372, 2. ἀκρωνία, τὰ ἀθροίσματα. καὶ ἡ ἀκρότης. καὶ ἡ ἀκμή. καὶ τὸ ἐπίλεκτον σύστημα. Εtym. Μ. p. 53, 41. ἀκρώνα (sic scriptum), τὰ ἀθροίσματα, καὶ ἡ ἀκρότης, καὶ ἡ ἀκμή, τὸ ἐπίλεκτον σύστημα. Hesychius ακρώνια (sic), αθροίσματα, παράστασις, πλῆθος, οἱ ἀκρώvva (sic codex), άθροισμός. Alterum illud vocabulum χλοῦνις diffcillimum est. Quod apud Homerum est ll. ΙΧ. 539. χλούνην σῦν, recte sane ita videtur explicari ut χλούνης ad χλόην referatur. Hesychius χλούνην, τὸν ἐν τῇ χλόῃ εὐναζόμενον. χλοῦναι, λωποδύται, οἱ ἐν τῇ χλόῃ εὐναζόμενοι. Sed Aristoteles Hist. an. VI. 28. p. 578. ed. Bekk. χλούνην putavit esse castratum. Τῶν δὲ ἀρρένων καὶ ἀγρίων, inquit, οἱ τομίαι μείζους γίνονται καὶ χαλεπώτεροι, ὥςπερ καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν “τρέψεν (libri θρέψει) ἔπι χλούνην σῦν ἄγριον· οὐδὲ ἐῴκει θηρί γε σιτοφάγῳ, ἀλλὰ ῥίῳ υλήεντι.” γίνονται δὲ τομίαι διὰ τὸ νέοις οὖσιν ἐμπίπτειν νόσημα κνησμὸν εἰς τοὺς ὄρχεις· εἶτα ξυόμενοι πρὸς τὰ δένδρα ἐκθλίβουσι τοὺς ὄρχεις. Eustathius p. 772, 53. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐκτομίαν ὁ χλούνης δηλοῖ, οὐ μόνον Αἰσχύλος δίδωσι χρῆσιν (pertinet hoc ad versum ex Edonis, fr. 60.), ἀλλὰ καὶ Αιλιανὸς μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς περὶ προνοίας χλούνην λέγων τὸν ἀπόκοπον· καὶ Αριστοτέλης δὲ κατὰ τὸν γεωγράφον χλούνην σῦν τὸν τομίαν λέγει. Schol. ad II. IX. 539. οἱ μὲν τὸν ἐντομίαν· κνώμενοι γὰρ πρὸς τὰ φυτὰ παρατρίβονται καὶ ἀγριώτεροι γίνονται. Reiecit hanc interpretationem Aristophanes grammaticus: v. Nauckium Aristoph. Byz. fragm. p. 118. seqq. Illud tamen ex hac Aristotelis interpretatione iure colligi videtur, potuisse fieri ut ab Aeschylo similiter χλοῦνις diceretur castratio. Non facile res ad liquidum perduci poterit: sed ut veri simillimam recepi Fritzschii emendationem, δίκαι, σφαγαί τε, σπέρματός τ' ἀποφθοραί, παίδων τε χλοῦνες, ἠδ᾽ ἀκρωνία κακοῦ. Σπέρματος αποφθοραί partus abaetos significant.

mvp-comment-136-1 λευσμόν,: Casaubonus aliique λευσμός τε vel λευσμοί τε scribendum esse putaverunt. Et potest scholiastes nominativum legisse videri. Servandum tamen puto λευσμόν τε, quum accusativus a μύζουσιν recte pendere videatur.

mvp-comment-137-1 ὑπὸ ῥάχιν: ὑπὸ ράχιν Μ. Ald. Rob. ὑποβάχιν G. ὑπόρραχιν Ven. Flor. Farn. υποβράχιν Turn. ug' G. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-138-1 οἵας ... ἀπόπτυστοι: οἷας G. Ald. ολας Rob. ἐπ' ἀπόπυστοι Ald.

mvp-comment-139-1 στέργηθρ᾽: στέργηθ' Αld.

mvp-comment-140-1 αἱματορρόφου: αἱματορόφου Rob.

mvp-comment-141-1 γείτοσι ... μύσος: πλησίοισι Ven. Flor. Rob. Turn. et ita haud dubie etiam Farn. πλησίοις M. G. Ald. Quum πλησίοισι supervacaneum esse videretur, fuerunt qui Pauwio, πλουσίοισι scribendum esse coniicienti, assentirentur. Ea vero mala coniectura est. Nam antro leonis opulentum maxime templum non recte opponitur. Neque mutandum est πλησίοισι. Ex templo egressus Apollo increpat Furias, quae ab umbra Clytaemnestrae expergefactae se proripuerant ex templo atque in orchestram descenderant. In orchestra autem commorantes intelliguntur esse in περιβόλῳ templi. Itaque πλησία χρηστήρια vicinum templum sunt, ante quod Furiae commorantur. Neque enim putandum est illa, quae v. 178. dicit Apollo, ἔξω, κελεύω, τῶνδε δωμάτων τάχος χωρεῖν, ἀπαλλάσσεσθε μαντικῶν μυχῶν, tam accurate et curiose interpretanda esse, ut aut omnes Furias aut partem earum in ipso templo remansisse statuamus: quorum neutrum fieri potuit. Dictum est de hac re in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 164. seq. et in Annalium Vindobonensium vol. CXI. p. 249. seq. In fine versus μύσος Ven. Flor. Turn. et, ut videtur, M. Farn. μίσος Rob. μίσος Ald. et hoc in G. ex μύσος factum est.

mvp-comment-142-1 εὐφιλὴs: ἐμφιλὴς Par.

mvp-comment-143-1 ἄναξ Ἄπολλον: Personae index in M. G. est χορὸς εὐμενίδων. In Ven. Flor. Rob. χορός. In Ald. Turn. εύμ.

mvp-comment-144-1 αὐτὸς ... πέλει: αὐτὸς γάρ σὺ Flor. Libri πέλῃ, praeter Rob. quae πέλει habet.

mvp-comment-145-1 εἷς ... ὡς: εἷς Canterus. Libri εἰς. Praeterea Wakefieldius ὡς in ὢν mutavit. Id non videtur esse necessarium. Hoc enim recte dicitur, quare omnem culpam sustines.

mvp-comment-146-1 πῶς δή; τοσοῦτο ... λόγου: πῶς δὴ· τοσοῦτο M. G. Turn. πῶς δὴ τοσαῦτο Ald. πῶς δὴ· τοσοῦτον Par. L. πῶς δῆτα τοῦτο Ven. Flor. Farn. Rob. De formis τοσοῦτο et τοσοῦτον v. ad Prom. v. 802. In fine versus a Schutzio et a me olim λόγον scriptum est. Multum praestat λόγου, quod libri habent.

mvp-comment-147-1 ἔχρησας: χο. Ven. Flor. Rob. ε. Μ. G. Ald. Turn.

mvp-comment-148-1 τί μήν;: Hinc in M. personae lineolis praefixis discernuntur. In Ven. Flor. Rob. Apollinis et chori, in G. Ald. Turn. Apollinis et Eumenidum nomina siglis significantur. τιμὴν M. G. Ven. Ald. Rob. Turn. τί μή Flor. ut Cantero scribendum videbatur. Recte Abreschius τί μήν; V. ad Ag. v. 14.

mvp-comment-149-1 δέκτωρ: δ᾽ ἔκταρ G. Ald. δ' έκτωρ sic Rob. δ᾽ ἔκτωρ ex Farn. affertur. δ' έκτωρ Ven. Emendate δέκτωρ Turn. De M. Flor. mihi non constat. Videtur autem M. δ᾽ ἔκτωρ vel δ᾽ ἕκτωρ habere: nam in margine adscriptum est οἶμαι δέκτωρ.

mvp-comment-150-1 τί γάρ; ... νοσφίσῃ: τί γὰρ Μ. G. Ald. Rob. Τurn. τίς γὰρ Ven. Flor. Farn. νοσφίσῃ M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. νοσφίσει Ven. Flor. Farn. Scholiastes τί προςτέταχθε ποιεῖν παρὰ (ser. περὶ ἀνδροφόνου γυναικός;

mvp-comment-151-1 αὐθέντης: Hic versus Apollini continuatur in M. G. Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald. χο. Rob. Ευ. Turn. Chori hunc versum esse non potest dubitari. Iterat hanc sententiam chorus v. 595. οὐκ ἦν ὅμαιμος φωτὸς ὃν κατέκτανεν. Intellexit etiam scholiastes hunc versum a choro proferri: haec enim adnotavit, ὁ τοῦ ᾿Αγαμέμνονος φόνος οὐκ ἦν αὐθέντης, ὅ ἐστι μιαρός. In Flor., ut Linwoodius dicit, scriptum est αὐθέντης.

mvp-comment-152-1 ἤρκεσας: απ. Rob. Turn. Lineola praefixa in M. Nulla nota in Ven. Flor. εύμ. G. Ald. καὶ παρ' οὐδὲν ἠρκέσω M. G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. Τurn. ἀρκέσω Par. ἀρκέσει non male Bothius. Wellauerus ηρέσω vel δέσω scribendum putabat. Quorum ἠρέσω ferri hic non potest, δέσω probabile est. Puto tamen Aeschylum scripsisse ἢ κάρτ' ἄτιμα, καὶ παρ᾽ οὐδὲν ἧκέ σοι Ἥρας τελείας καὶ Διὸς πιστώματα.

mvp-comment-153-1 ἀπέρριπται: ἀπέρσιπται Ald.

mvp-comment-154-1 γίγνεται: Libri γίνεται.

mvp-comment-155-1 μόρσιμος: μόρσιμος Rob. et sic Farn. μόρσιμον Ven. Flor. μόρσιμοι M. G. Par. Ald. μορσίμη Turn.

mvp-comment-156-1 ὅρκου 'στὶ ... φρουρουμένη: ὅρκου 'στὶ Porsonus. ὅρκούστι Μ. ὅρκους τι G. Par. Ald. ὅρκους τί, ad i supra adscripto ε, Ven. Flor. ὅρκοις τι ex suo codice affert Rob. qui ὅρκος τὶς dedit. ὅρκου τὲ Turn. φρουρουμένη vitiose Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-157-1 εἰ ... χαλᾷς: ἢ Ven. Rob. ή reliqui. Recte Canterus εἰ. χαλᾷς Rob. χαλαῖς Μ. G. Ald. Turn.

mvp-comment-158-1 τὸ μὴ τίνεσθαι: Libri τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι. Scribendum τὸ μὴ τίνεσθαι. Vidit hoc etiam Meinekius ad Menandrum p. 226. Sophocles Oed. Col. v. 993. πότερα πυνθάνοι ἄν, εἰ πατήρ σ᾽ ὁ καίνων. ἢ τίνοι ἂν εὐθέως; δοκῶ μέν, εἴπερ ζῆν φιλεῖς, τὸν αἴτιον τίνοὶ ἄν, οὐδὲ τοὔνδικον περιβλέποις. Linwoodius, miro iudicio multo rectius Petersenum τὸ μηδἕπεσθαι coniecisse putans, hoc recepit. Id si vellet, debebat saltem scribere μήθ' - μήτ.

mvp-comment-159-1 Ὀρέστην σ᾽ ἐνδίκως ἀνδρηλατεῖν: Huic versui in M. G. Ven. Ald. Turn. Apollinis nomen praefixum est. Nullam personae notam habent Flor. Rob. ὀρέστην σ' ἐνδίκως Rob. Turn. ὀρέστην γ' ἐνδίκως M. G. Ald. ὀρέστην ἐν δίκαις Ven. Flor. ἄνδρας κατεῖν codex Robortelli: ipse e Sophiani emendatione ανδρηλατεῖν dedit, quod celeri libri habent.

mvp-comment-160-1 οἶδα ... κάρτα σ᾽: οίδα M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. ούτοι Ven. Farn. et adscripto γρ. οἶδα Flor. Dubitari potest an εἶδον aptius scriberetur. κάρτας pro κάρτα σ' G. Ald.

mvp-comment-161-1 Παλλὰς ... ἐποπτεύσει: δὲ παλλὰς e Sophiani emendatione Rob. δ᾽ ἐπάλλας Μ. δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἄλλας G. Ald. Turn. Ven. (Bekkero teste Flor. Farn. codex Robortelli. Ex Ven. Flor. δὲπάλλας Franzius affert. ἐποπτεύσει Μ. G. Ald. Rob. ἐποπτεύει Ven. Flor. Farn. ἐποπτεύσεις Turn.

mvp-comment-162-1 λίπω: οὔπω μὴ sola Ald. Deinde λίπω Porsonus. Libri λείπω. γ. quae dixi ad Med. v. 1120. et ad Oed. Col. v. 1024.

mvp-comment-163-1 πόνον πλέον τίθου: πλέω Auratus aliique, idque olim recepi. Sophocles Ai. v. 362. μὴ κακὸν κακῷ διδοὺς ἄκος, πλέον τὸ πῆμα τῆς ἄτης τίθει. Sed non mutandum est quod libri habent, καὶ πόνον πλέον τίθου. Hoe dicit, praefer laborem, si placet. τίθου, ad or supra adscripto ει, Ven. τίθοι, supra adscripto ου, Flor.

mvp-comment-164-1 λόγῳ: Libri λόγῳ. Melius videtur ψόγῳ.

mvp-comment-165-1 πὰρ ... λέγει: πάρ M. Ven. Flor. Rob. παρ G. παρ' Ald. Turn. παρὰ scripsit Porsonus. Deinde libri λέγῃ·

mvp-comment-166-1 ἄγει ... δίκας: ἄγει Ven. Flor. Rob. Τurn. ἄγειν M. G. Par. Ald. Deinde δίκας M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. δίκης Ven. δίκης (sic) Flor. δίκη Farn.

mvp-comment-167-1 φῶτα κἀκκυνηγετῶ: φῶτα κἀκκυνηγέτης M. G. Ven. Flor. Ald. φῶτα κακκυνηγέτης Rob. φῶτα καὶ κυνηγέτης Par. φῶτά γ' ὡς κυνηγέτης Farn. φῶτα καὶ κυνηγέτις Turn. Stanleius scribendum putabat καὶ κυνηγετω. Scribendum potius κἀκκυνηγετώ. Ita Erfurdtius. Euripides in lone ν. 1422. ὦ Ζεῦ, τίς ἡμᾶς ἐκκυνηγετεῖ πότμος;

mvp-comment-168-1 ἀρήξω: ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἥξω Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-169-1 θεοῖς: θεοῖς Ven. Flor. Rob. Τurn. θεοῖσι M. G. Ald.

mvp-comment-170-1 εἰ προδῶ: ɛ in ǹy mutavit Porsonus. V. de part. av II. 7.

mvp-comment-171-1 ἄνασσ' Ἀθάνα: Postquam chorus ex orchestra aliit et Apollo in templum se recepit, mutatur scena. Conspicitur templum Minervae Poliadis in arce Athenarum. Advenit Orestes et supplex ad simulacrum deae accedit. κελεύμασι Farn.

mvp-comment-172-1 δέχου δὲ: δούχου vitium Ald. δὲ omittit Par.

mvp-comment-173-1 οὐ προςτρόπαιον, οὐδ᾽ ἀφοίβαντον χέρα, ἀλλ' ἀμβλὺς ἤδη προςτετριμμένος τε πρὸς ἄλλοισιν οἴκοις καὶ πορεύμασιν βροτῶν: Libri οὐ προστρόπαιον οὐδ᾽ ἀφοίβαντον χέρα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμβλὲν ἤδη προστετριμμένον τε πρὸς ἄλλοισιν οἴκοις καὶ πορεύμασι βροτῶν. Versu secundo προςτετριμμένην Par. sed alterum supra adscriptum est. Versu tertio πορεύμασιν Porsonus. In secundo versu olim scripseram προςτετριμμένον πάρος, quod mallem neque a Schützio receptum esset neque iterum prolatum a Reisigio Coni, in Aristoph. p. 71. Non magis probari potest quod mihi aliquando et deinde aliis in mentem venit, προςτετριμμένον τε πρό. Nam alienum hoc est ab hoc loco. Sed quod libri habent, ferri non potest. Neque enim praepositio ita in fine versus collocata eiusmodi exemplis confirmatur, quale hoc est in Sophoclis Oed. Col. v. 495. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐχ ὁδωτά. λείπομαι γὰρ ἐν τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι μηδ᾽ ὁρᾶν, δυοῖν κακοῖν. Ibi enim praecedens interpunctio facit ut duorum versuum numeri arctius coniungantur. Similiter in Oed. R. v. 555. ἔπειθες, ἢ οὐκ ἔπειθες, ὡς χρείη μὲ ἐπὶ τὸν σεμνόμαντιν ἄνδρα πέμψασθαί τινα; Et in Philoct. v. 626. ubi sequitur statim incisio, οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ἐγὼ ταῦτ᾽. ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ μὲν εἶὶ ἐπὶ ναῦν· σφῶν δ᾽ ὅπως ἄριστα συμφέροι θεός. Deinde ipsa sententiae ratio ostendit non posse haec ita ab Aeschylo scripta esse. Denique quae sequuntur, ὅμοια χέρσον καὶ θάλασσαν ἐκπερῶν — πρόςειμι δῶμα καὶ βρέτας τὸ σόν, θεά, non sunt connexa cum praecedentibus. Itaque, ut in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 45 seq. faciendum esse dixi, mutato versuum ordine, sic scripsi, οὐ προςτρόπαιον, οὐδ᾽ ἀφοίβαντον χέρα ἄλλοισιν οἴκοις καὶ πορεύμασιν βροτῶν· ἀλλ᾽ ἀμβλὺς ἤδη προςτετριμμένον μύσος, ὅμοια χέρσον etc. Προςτετριμμένον μύσος dictum est ut πρόςτριμμα Ag. v. 378. Neque dissimiliter dicitur Prom. v. 331. γλώσσῃ ματαία ζημία προςτρίβεται. Videtur autem μύσος legisse scholiastes, qui haec adscripsit, ἄλλοις προςτριψάμενον τὸ μύσος, quamquam potuit sane ita interpretari, etiamsi non scriptum invenit μύσος. Quod restitui, ἀμβλὺς ἤδη προςτετριμμένον μέσος, confirmatur eo quod v. 465. Minerva dicit, ἄλλως τε καὶ σὺ μὲν κατηρτυκὼς δρόμοις ἱκέτης προςῆλθες καθαρὸς ἀβλαβὴς δόμοις ἐμοῖς· AESCHYLUS II. 38 Quod enim καθαρός ει ἀβλαβής dicitur, idem est ἀμβλὺς ἤδη τὸ μύσος. Innocuus ad templum Minervae Orestes accedere poterat, quia hebetatum erat et evanuerat piaculum quod sibi contraxerat. Ipse Orestes ν. 437. οὐκ εἰμὶ προςτρόπαιος, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει μύσος πρὸς χειρὶ τήμῃ τὸ σὸν ἐφημένου βρέτας. Πορεύμασιν itineribus est, ut Εuripides Iph. Αul. v. 300. νάϊον πόρευμα dixit. Vniversam autem horum versuum sententiam Orestes v. 443. sic repetit, πάλαι πρὸς ἄλλοις ταῦτ᾽ ἀφιερώμεθα οἴκοισι καὶ βοτοῖσι καὶ ῥυτοῖς πόροις. Non recte hanc meam horum versuum emendationem impugnavit Schoemannus.

mvp-comment-174-1 σώζων: σώζων (σώζων Μ.) M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. σώζων τ' Ven. (Bekkero teste) Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-175-1 ἀναμενῶ: Libri ἀναμένω. Recte Stanleius in curis secundis ἀναμενῶ.

mvp-comment-176-1 εἶεν: Introeunt Furiae σποράδην in orchestram. ἔπι τ᾽ ἀν- δρος Α.

mvp-comment-177-1 μηνυτῆρος ... ἀφθέγκτου: μηνυτή, relicto duarum vel trium litterarum spatio, Ven. Idem, sed adscripto in margine μηνυτῆρος, Flor. μηνυτῇσιν Farn. ἀφθέκτου Farn. Rob.

mvp-comment-178-1 νεβρὸν: νεβρόν Victorius, et sic M. Franzio teste. νεκρὸν G. Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald. Rob. Turn.

mvp-comment-179-1 ἐκμαστεύομεν: ἐμαστεύομεν Ven. Dindorfius scribendum putat ἐκματεύομεν. Recte fortasse. V. ad Ag. v. 1058.

mvp-comment-180-1 ἀνδροκμῆσι: ἀνδροκμῇσι Farn. Ald. ανδροκμοῖσι Flor. ἀρδροκμῆσι Rob. typographi errore, neque debebat Schoemannus dooozµžσi seribendum putare, quod dicendum esset γυιοκμήσι. Hoc dicunt Furiae, anhelant viscera ex multo virum defatigante labore, i. e. anhelamus ex multo labore quo virum persecutae sumus. Eodem modo ανδροκμής activum est infra v. 943. ἀνδροκμήτας δ᾽ ἀώρους ἀπεννέπω τύχας. Suppl. v. 652. μηδέ τις ἀνδροκμής λοιγὸς ἐπελθέτω τάνδε πόλιν δαΐζων. Choeph. v. 877. δοίη τις ἀνδροκμῆτα πέλεκυν ὡς τάχος. Et apud Euripidem Suppl. v. 524. οὐ βλάπτων πόλιν, οὐδ᾽ ἀνδροκμήτας προςφέρων ἀγωνίας.

mvp-comment-181-1 πᾶς: πᾶν pro πᾶς Rob.

mvp-comment-182-1 πόντον ... ἀπτέροις: πόντου Farn. ἀπέτροις Rob.

mvp-comment-183-1 που ... καταπτακών: ἐπί που Αld. καταπτακὼν Μ. G. Par. Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald. Rob. καταπτιτακώς Turn. ex lemmate, ut videtur, scholii in ed. Rob. In M. scholion, καταπτήξας πρὸς τῷ ἀγάλματα, nullum lemma habet. Hue recte videtur referre Dindorfius Hesychii καταπλακών, καιταπλήξας, διαμαρτών, ubi καταπτακών, καταπτήξας scribendum esse, διαμαρτών autem ad καταπλακών pertinere vidit Lobeckius Paralip. p. 541.

mvp-comment-184-1 ὀσμὴ: ἐς μὴ ριο ὀσμὴ Ald.

mvp-comment-185-1 ὅρα, ὅρα: In G. adscriptum est ὁ αὐτὸς χορός. In Ald. Turn. xo. quod ceteri libri omittunt. Scholiastes recte τὸ αὐτὸ πρόςωπόν ἐστι. Dixerat princeps chori ea quae v. 243-252. continentur: nunc eadem persona carmen orditur quod sequitur. Sed non eadem persona totum carmen recitat, immo aperte his versibus colloquium continetur Furiarum. Distribuendos esse hos versus inter septem Furias, quae canunt dum reliquae in orchestram irrumpunt, neque antistrophica haec esse, et res ipsa monstrat et indicatum est a me in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 51.

mvp-comment-186-1 ὅρα, ὅρα μάλ' αὖ, λεῦσσέ τε πάντα, μὴ λάθῃ φύγδα βὰς ὁ ματροφόνος ἀτίτας: ὅρα ὅρα μάλ' αὖ codices et Rob. δέα δρα μάλ' αὖ Ald. Turn. Deinde λεύσσε τὸν, erasis aliquot post λεύσσε litteris, Μ. λεύσσετὸν G. λευσσετὸν Ald. λεύσσετον Rob. λεῦσσε τὸν Ven. Flor. Turn. Deinde πάντα M. Ceteri πάντα. Deinde φύγδα M. Rob. Ven. et, ut videtur, Flor. Farn. φυγάδα G. Ald. Turn. Deinde libri ὁ ματροφόνος cum articulo. Denique ἀτίτας M. G. Ald. Rob. Τurn. ἀτίμας Ven. Flor. Farn. Scribendum erat δρα, ὅρα μάλ' αὖ, λεῦσσέ τε πάντα, μὴ λάθη σύγδα βὰς ματροφόνος ἀτίτας.

mvp-comment-187-1 ὃ δ᾽ αὖτέ γ' ἀλκὰν ἔχων: ὅδ' αυτέ γ' οὖν ἀλκὼν ἔχων M. G. Par. Ald. Turn. αὐτε γοῦν ἀλκὰν ἔχων Rob. Farn. et Bekkero teste Ven. ὅδ᾽ αὖτέ γ' οὐκ ἀλκὰν ἔχων Victorius, et sic, ut Franzius dicit, Flor. qui potius cum Ven. Farn. consentire videtur. Scribendum ὃ δ' αυτέ γ' ἀλκὰν ἔχων.

mvp-comment-188-1 περὶ βρέτει πλεχθεὶs: περὶ βρέτει Rob. Turn. περιβρέτει M. G. Ald. περιβλέπει Ven. Flor. Farn. Deinde πλαγχθεὶς Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-189-1 χερῶν: Libri χερῶν. Recte Scaliger et Wakefieldius χρεῶν. Et legisse hoc videtur scholiastes, qui haec adnotavit, ἀνθ' ὧν ἡμῖν χρεωστεῖ πρόςφυξ θέλει γενέσθαι τῆς θεοῦ. Quamquam potest hoc ad solum vocabulum ὑπόδικος pertinere, quod Hesychius ita interpretatur, ὑπεύθυνος, χρεώστης, ἔνοχος δίκης.

mvp-comment-190-1 τὸ δ᾽: τὸ δ' Victorius. Libri τόδ'.

mvp-comment-191-1 δυςαγκόμιστον, παπαῖ: θυσαγκόμιστρον Ven. Flor. Farn. Male δυςαγκόμιστον ad praecedentia referebatur, fracta orationis vi. Interpungendum esse post χαμαί, si quem non sensus admoneret, vel scholiastae admonere poterant, qui haec adscripserunt, τὸ ἅπαξ χυθὲν αἷμα δυςίατον, et πᾶν διερὸν ἐκκεχυμένον εἰς τὴν γῆν δυςαγκόμιστον. τοιοῦτο οὖν καὶ τὸ αἷμα. Deinde παπαί Farn.

mvp-comment-192-1 τὸ διερὸν πέδῳ χύμενον: τὸ διερὸν Victorius et sic M. τόδ᾽ ἱερὸν G. Ald. τὸ δ' ἱερὸν Ven. Flor. Farn. Turn. τὸ δι᾽ ἱερὸν Rob. Deinde libri πέδῳ, praeter Par. qui πέδον habet. Denique libri κεχυμένον, praeter Ald. in qua ob male lectum compendium codicis κεχνμίον est. Porsonus χύμενον. V. Elmsl. ad Heracl. v. 76.

mvp-comment-193-1 φεροίμαν βόσκαν πώματος: βοσκαν φεροίμαν M. G. Par. Ald. Rob. Turn. βοσκὰν φεροίμην Ven. Flor. Scribendum esse φεροίμαν βοσκαν vidit etiam 38* Wellauerus. Deinde πώματος M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. πόματος Par. Flor. πόρπατος Ven. Farn.

mvp-comment-194-1 καὶ ζῶντά σ' ἰσχνάνασ᾽ ἀπάξομαι κάτω: καὶ ζῶντας codex Rob. Deinde ἰσχνάνασ' Turn. ἰχνάνασ' M. G. Ald. Rob. ἰσχύνασ' Ven. Flor. Deinde αἰσπήζομαι codex Rombortelli: ipse απάξομαι dedit, ut ceteri habent praeter Ald. in qua ἀπάζομαι est. Denique καὶ κάτω Rob.

mvp-comment-195-1 ἀντίποιν᾽ ὡς τίνῃς ματροφόνας δύας: ἀντιποίνους τείνεις Μ. ἀντιποίνους τείνης Rob. ἀντιποίνους τείνεις G. Par. Ald. ἀντιποίνους τίνεις Turn. ἀντιποίνους τίνης (τίνης Vict.) Ven. Flor. Victorius. ἀντιφοίνους τίνῃς, supra adscripto ἵνα ad τίνης, Farn. Deinde libri μητροφόνας δύας. Casaubonus ματροφόνου δύας. Vulgatum ἀντιποίνους τίνης qui defensum iret ellipsi particulae va, de qua a Lamberto Bosio et eius editoribus dictum est, graviter falleretur. Illa enim Homerica, ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, ἀρήτα τεύχεα δύω· — θάπτε με ὅττι τάχιστα, πύλας Αίδαο περήσω, et simmilia, nullam continent ellipsin, sed orta est ista loquendi ratio ex deliberatione. V. Opusc. 1. p. 208. seq. Potuit Aeschylus scribere artiποίνους τίνειν ματροφόνους δύας, possunt ante hunc versum aliquot verba in iisque particula, e qua penderet coniunctivus, excidisse: sed vera videtur elegans Schützii emendatio, ἀντίποιν᾽ ὡς τίνῃς ματροφόνου δύας. Similiter dictum est in Persis v. 471. ὧν ἀντίποινα παῖς ἐμὸς πράξειν δοκῶν.

mvp-comment-196-1 ὄψει δὲ κεἴ τις ἄλλος ἤλιτεν βροτῶν: Libri ὄψει δ᾽ ἐκεῖ τις ἄλλον ἤλιτεν βροτῶν, nisi quod ἤλιτε habent Ven. Flor. et βροτον G. Ald. Turn. In Farn. εἰς ad ἄλλον supra adscriptum est. Heathius og scribendum vidit, quod Faehsius in Par. esse dicit. ὄψει δὲ κεἴ τις ἄλλος ἤλιτεν βροτῶν recte Schutzius.

mvp-comment-197-1 ἢ θεὸν ἢ ξένον τιν' οὐκ εὐσεβῶν: Libri τίν' ἀσεβῶν, nisi quod τίτ᾽ ἀσεβῶν habent Ald. Turn. Wellauerus post τιν ἀσεβῶν excidisse putabat quod dochmiacum expleret. Veri similius est scripsisse Aeschylum ἢ θεὸν ἢ ξένον τιν οὐκ εὐσεβῶν. Si per errorem scriptum erat ἀσεβῶν pro εὐσεβῶν, consequens erat ut οὐκ omitteretur.

mvp-comment-198-1 ἔχονθ᾽: ἔχονθ' Victorius, et sic Franzio teste M. Ceteri ἔχοντ'. Adscriptum est ?ωνικόν in Farn.

mvp-comment-199-1 Ἅιδης: άδης Ven. Flor. Rob. άδος Αld.

mvp-comment-200-1 ἔνερθε: ἔνερθεν Farn.

mvp-comment-201-1 ἐπωπᾷ φρενί: ἐπωπᾷ φρενί M. G. Ald. Turn. ἐπωπᾶ τῇ φρενὶ Rob. ἐποπτᾶ τῇ φρενὶ Ven. Flor. ἐποπτᾶ τῇ φρενει Farn.

mvp-comment-202-1 φωνεῖν: φρωνεῖν vitium Ald. unde φρονεῖν Turn.

mvp-comment-203-1 χερός: Iacobsius Anthol. t. XII. p. 10. ad epigr. incert. 239. scribendum putabat βρίζει γὰρ αἷμα καὶ μαραίνεται χρέος μητροκτόνον, μίασμα δ᾽ ἔκπλυτον πέλει. Εt distinctio haec est in ed. Rob. Equidem, quum libri habeant χέρος, neque id reprehendi possit, nihil novandum esse existimo.

mvp-comment-204-1 ἔκπλυτον: ἔκπλητον Ald. Eadem mox τοταίνιον.

mvp-comment-205-1 χοιροκτόνοις: χειροκτόνοις Rob. χοιροκτόνοις supra adscripto χει Par. teste Boissonado adnot. in Zachariam scholast. p. 408.

mvp-comment-206-1 ὅσοις ... ἀβλαβεῖ: 8ools M. G. Par. Ven. Flor. Rob. östois Ald. unde öçTIS infelici coniectura Turn. aßhaß Par. et ante correctionem G.

mvp-comment-207-1 χρόνος καθαιρεῖ πάντα γηράσκων ὁμοῦ.: καθαίρει malebat Stanleius. Deinde γηράσκων M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. ye didúozor Ven. Farn. et yɛ supra adscripto Flor. Nexum turbare hunc versum et ab hoc loco alienum esse dixi in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 55. seq. Delendum eum esse viderat iam Musgravius. Adscriptus fuit ad versus 277. 278. Similis versus apud Stobaeum CXXVI. 8. legitur, χρόνος δ᾽ ἀμαυροῖ πάντα κεἰς λήθην ἄγει.

mvp-comment-208-1 Ἀργεῖον: ἀργείων Ven.

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-222-1 εὐθυδίκαιοí θ᾽ ἡδόμεθ᾽ εἶναι: εὐθυδίκαι θ᾽ οἶδ' οίμεθ᾽ εἶναι Μ. ut Franzius dicit. εὐθυδίκαι θ' οἱδοίμεθ᾽ εἶναι G. Rob. et, ut alii dicunt, M. εὐθυδίκα θ' οἱ δοίμεσθ᾽ εἶναι Ald. εὐθυδίκαι δ᾽ ἐδοίμεθ᾽ εἶναι Par. εὐθυδίκαι τ᾽ οἶδ᾽ οἶμαι θεῖναι Ven. Flor. Farn. εὐθύδικαί ' εὐθυδίκαι Viel.) ἡδόμεσθ' είναι Turn. Vict. εύθυδίκαι δ᾽ ἡδόμεθ' είναι Canterus. Scribendum erat εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾽ ἡδόμεθ᾽ εἶναι. Illud Casaubonus viderat, 9' in δ' esse mutandum. εὐθυδίκαιοι simile verbum est atque ὀρθοδίκαιοι infra v. 976.

mvp-comment-223-1 τοὺς μὲν καθαρὰς ... χεῖρας προνέμοντας: τοὺς μὲν καθαρὰς | χεῖρας προσνέμοντας M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. nisi quod Ald. πρὸς νέμοντας habet. τοὺς μὲν καθαρὰς (καθαρᾷ Farn.) χεῖρας προνέμοντας Ven. Flor. Farn. Quod Turnebus inter τὰ ἄλλως εὑρεθέντα ἐν τισὶν ἀντιγράφοις affert, χεῖρας ἔχοντας, id, quum ille in Orestea nullo codice praeter Aldinam editionem usus sit, non dubito quin coniectura sit, quam in textum non ausus est recipere. Bis tantum ille in Eumenidibus aliam scripturam adnotavit, hie et mox v. 358. sed etiam hoc altero loco talem quae coniecturae speciem prae se ferat. Non recte olim scripsi τὸν μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντο. Etenim non veri simile est librarios pluralem posuisse, quum singulari numero sequatur ἀσινὴς δ᾽ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ. Sed, ut strophica horum anapaestorum ratio docet, scribendum potius est, τοὺς μὲν καθαρὰς * καθαρῶς* χεῖρας προνέμοντας.

mvp-comment-224-1 οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν: Libri οὔτις ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν μῆνις ἐφέρπει. Hiatum, qui ita inter hunc et sequentem versum est, Porsonus emendata verborum collocatione removit.

mvp-comment-225-1 ἀλιτών, ὥςπερ ὅδ᾽ ἀνήρ: Libri αλιτρῶν. Recepi olim Stanleii coniecturam ἀλιτῶν. Neque dubitari potest quin verum sit hoc verbum: sed scribi debet akıτών, ut Auratus voluerat. Nam praesens huius verbi neque exstat, neque hic commodum est. Libri ἀνήρ. Correxit Porsonus.

mvp-comment-226-1 φονίας: φονίους Par.

mvp-comment-227-1 θανοῦσιν: θανοῦσιν M. G. Par. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. v abiecit Turn.

mvp-comment-228-1 παραγιγνόμεναι: Libri παραγινόμεναι. Deinde κράκτορες Par.

mvp-comment-229-1 ἔτικτες: Huic versui in Ven. Flor. Orestis nomen adscriptum est. ἔτεκες Ald. Turn. sed G. ut ceteri ἔτικτες.

mvp-comment-230-1 ἀλαοῖσι ... δεδορκόσιν ποινάν: ἀλαοῖσι Pauwius et sic Par. ἀλαοῖς Ven. Flor. Farn. αλαοῖσιν Μ. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. Deinde και omissum in Farn. Deinde δεδορκόσι Turn. δεδορκῶσιν Ven. Flor. Ceteri recte δεδορκόσιν. Μox ποινᾶν posuit Turnebus. ποινὰν recte M. G. Ald. Rob. In Ven. Flor. Farn. omissa sunt haec verba, ποινών, κλῦθ᾽. ὁ Λατούς γὰρ ἦνίς μ' ἄτιμον τίθησιν. Adscriptum in Farn. λξ β'.

mvp-comment-231-1 κλῦθι· ὁ Λατοῦς: κλῦθ᾽ ὁ λατους M. G. Rob. κλύθ᾽ ἑλατους vitium Ald. Inde Turn. κλύθι. Λατούς.

mvp-comment-232-1 τίθησιν: τίθησιν M. G. Ald. Rob. v omisit Turn.

mvp-comment-233-1 τόνδ᾽: τόνδε γ' ἀφαιρούμενος Farn.

mvp-comment-234-1 πτῶκα, ματρῷον: πτῶκα Rob. ex emendatione Sophiani et Turn. πτάκα M. G. Ald. codex Robortelli. πτᾶκα Ven. Flor. Deinde ματρῷον Arnaldus. Libri ματρώϊον. In Farn. adscriptum συνίζησις.

mvp-comment-66-1 χλοῦνις, virility. The Schol. seems rightly to refer this to the castration of boys. A wild boar was called χλούνης, probably from the large size of the testes. The word ἀκρωνία seems corrupt; the Schol. explains it by κακῶν ἄθροισις, which is evidently impossible. Pollux (II. 137) gives a medical term ἀκρωμία, for the muscle at the top of the shoulder; but this does not help us, unless we suppose a verse lost describing the cutting off of limbs, noses, ears, &c. The poet might have written ἠδ' ἀκρωμίας ποδῶν τε φόνια καὶ χερῶν σπαράγματα, λευσμοί τε, κ.τ.λ. (The comment of the Schol.

‘the cutting off of extremities,' may have referred to this.) Cf. Lysias, Andoc. 26

οἰόμενος τὰ ἀκρωτήρια ζῶν ἀποτμηθήσεσθαι.

mvp-comment-67-1 πᾶς τρόπος] The whole style of your appearance leads to this, viz. that you are hateful to the gods because you are fond of feasting on scenes of blood. Xen. Cyr. VIII. 7, 15

mvp-comment-68-1 τρίβεσθαι] Schol.

See Prom. 337 .

mvp-comment-69-1 πέμψαι] Doubtless we should read πρᾶξαι. 'What 1 did order was (not expressly 'to kill his mother, but) to exact punishment for his father. Anticipating the sense of the next verse, the Schol. here rightly adds, ὥστε δέξασθαι τὸν φονέα. See v. 84.

mvp-comment-70-1 With δέκτωρ we may supply εἶναι.

mvp-comment-71-1 προπομπούς] This is ironical. If you bade him to go to Delphi, do you blame us for conducting him thither?' Schol. recent. rὰς διωκτρίας.

mvp-comment-72-1 γέρας καλόν] Some office or duty that is honourable, and worth the boasting of.

mvp-comment-73-1 τί γάρ;] What! Would you chase the slayer of a woman who has killed her own husband? That would not be, replies the chorus, the murder of a blood relation (and therefore the offence is not so heinous as to justify retribution by the hand of a son). The Schol. understood this rightly, the murder of Agamemnon was not of the same degree of guilt.' Both epithets, ὅμαιμος and αὐθέντης, combine to distinguish the murder of one's own kin, husband and wife being viewed as aliens in blood, though bound by other ties, πιστώματα, which, Apollo tells the Furies, they are setting at naught by thus acquitting a wife from the higher degree of criminality.

mvp-comment-74-1 Κύπρις δὲ κ.τ.λ.] Three of the greater gods, who preside over marriage, are spurned and slighted by your view. - εἰργάσω J. Wordsworth, for ἠρκέσω.

mvp-comment-75-1 ὅρκου μείζων] Marriage, says Apollo, is not a mere engagement; it has a religious and sacramental character, and is guarded and presided over by Justice.

mvp-comment-76-1 τὸ μὴ κ.τ.λ.] So that it comes to this, that you do not regard with anger the slaying of the one by the hand of the other. For γενέσθαι with an infinitive, contingere ut &c., cf. Eur. Phoen. 754

mvp-comment-77-1 τὰ μὲν γὰρ κ.τ.λ.] ‘For in the one case (matricide) I see that you are greatly indignant, but in the other (the killing of a husband), openly acting with more gentleness.' The general argument is, You ought to pursue neither parties, or both. The Schol. explains ἡσυχαιτέραν by δολιωτέραν, and it is to be feared that there is something wrong here.

mvp-comment-78-1 τῶνδε] The case, he says, is so full of difficulty that the Goddess of Wisdom shall herself decide it.

mvp-comment-79-1 ἔμπας] You, as a supernal god, are great even without such prerogatives as mine, viz. the worship paid to a Chthonian power.

mvp-comment-80-1 προστροπαίου] The sense is, that the protection of a suppliant is so solemn an obligation both on earth and in heaven, that a ban attaches to the intentional and deliberate neglect of him.

mvp-comment-81-1 An interval of some time is supposed to have elapsed, during which Orestes, in obedience to Apollo's injunction at v. 79, has come to seek the protection of Pallas in the Erechtheum on the Athenian acropolis.

mvp-comment-82-1 προστρόπαιον] Schol.

mvp-comment-83-1 The MSS. have ἀμβλὺν and προστετριμμένον, but the syntax seems to demand the nominative, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμβλὺς ἤδη πρόσειμι (adsum). The metaphor in blunted and rubbed against other abodes of men is taken from a sharp edge worn down and made dull against a wall. The sense is, that he has already undergone purification at the hands of many persons in the course of his long travels. It seems from the scholiast that there was an ancient reading προστε τραμμένον, and perhaps also a variant προστετριμμένον τ' ayos, which he explains by ἄλλοις προστριψάμενον τὸ μύσος.

mvp-comment-84-1 χέρσον καὶ θάλασσαν] Cf. 77, ὑπέρ τε πόντον καὶ περιρρύτας πόλεις.

mvp-comment-85-1 αὐτοῦ] here. Eur. Herc. F. 1397

In Ag. 433 1568 it means there.

mvp-comment-86-1 Even here the Furies rush in, unwearied by the long pursuit. This is a very fine passage, and the versification is splendid. The voiceless informer' is of course the smell of blood.

mvp-comment-87-1 ἀνδροκμῆσι] fatiguing. See Cho. 875 . Suppl. 661 , inf. 916. From the Scholium μεγαλοκμῆσιν Heimsoeth ingeniously restores ἀρθροκμῆσιν· μελοκμῆσιν, limb-tiring. Both of these however are strange compounds.

mvp-comment-88-1 καταπτακών] Schol.

See Veitch, Gr. Verbs, p. 566, in πτήσσω.

mvp-comment-89-1 ἀτίτας] Schol.

In Ag. 72 it seems to mean taking no part in the vengeance.

mvp-comment-90-1 The Schol. seems to have read χρεῶν for χερῶν, and to have construed ὑπόδικος χρεῶν (ὢν) θέλει γενέσθαι πλεχθεὶς περὶ κ.τ.λ., which however is clearly wrong. We must understand that Orestes is willing, under the protection of the goddess, and while clasping her statue, to place himself ἐν χερῶν δίκῃ, in the hands of his persecutors, and to submit himself to justice.

mvp-comment-91-1 αἷμα κ.τ.λ.] Blood once shed can never be taken up again from the earth and restored to the veins from which it flowed. Compare Ag. 987-9 . Inf. 617.

mvp-comment-92-1 τὸ διερόν] Life-blood once shed on the ground is gone for ever. Hesych.

In Od. v1. 201

οὐκ ἔσθ' οὗτος ἀνὴρ διερὸς βροτὸς,

it is exactly the Latin vivax. Curtius, Gr. Et. 235 , refers it to the root δι, implying scared restlessness.

mvp-comment-93-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἀντιδοῦναι κ.τ.λ.] No! you have shed lifeblood, and life-blood you must give to me in return to suck from your veins. The notion attaching to these demons was very like that which people had of witches but a few generations ago, viz. that leanness and pining, blight and sickness were caused by them. See inf. 900, sup. 133.

mvp-comment-94-1 οὐκ εὐσεβῶν for ἀσεβῶν is Hermann's correction to restore the dochmiac verse. Impiety to gods or parents, sacrilege or revealing mysteries, violating an oath or betraying a suppliant, were the high misdemeanours with the Greeks, who show little consciousness of the sin of sensual excesses.

mvp-comment-95-1 δελτογράφῳ] This notion of recording sins in a book or tablet is curious. We have the same in a fragment of Euripides, Melanipp. 488 , where the poet says that the whole heaven would not be space enough for Zeus to write down the sins of man.

mvp-comment-96-1 Orestes addresses the spectators perhaps rather than the chorus. He says he has had a lesson in suffering, and his acquaintance with many forms and rites of expiation (sup. 230) has taught him when to speak and when to be silent; but on this occasion, although murderers as a rule can neither speak nor be spoken to, he has been ordered by Apollo himself to plead his own cause, and to assert his innocence.

mvp-comment-97-1 ἀβλαβεῖ] 'It would be long to tell how many I have visited since the first commission of the crime, and the first purification at Delphi, none of whom have received any harm from converse with me.' Schol.

mvp-comment-98-1 καὶ νῦν] ‘And accordingly now, viz. as I have the full right and even the command to speak. See on Agam. 1 8.

mvp-comment-99-1 πιστόν] This is one of the many allusions in tragedy to treaties either made or contemplated between Athens and Argos. It is again alluded to in v. 733. Schol.

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-108-1 Ας προνέμειν is to hold out, for all to see, 8ο ἐπικρύπτειν is to muffle a blood-stained hand within a garment in order to conceal the crime.

mvp-comment-109-1 ἄγνισμα κύριον] ‘Our own proper (or lawful) victim for expiating a mother's murder.'

mvp-comment-84-1 χλοῦνις ἀκρωνία. ἡ ἀκμαία ἀποκοπή (χλοῦνιν λέγει τὴν ἀκμαίαν ἀποκοπήν f), παρὰ τὴν χλόην· ἢ ἐπεὶ χλούνης (χλοῦνις f) ὁ σῦς, κάπροι δὲ συνεχῶς εὐνουχίζονται (soweit auch f), διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀποκοπὴν συϊκὴν εἶπεν, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην. ἡ ἐκτομὴ μορίων.

mvp-comment-85-1 ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ τῆς μορφῆς ὑμῶν ἡ κακία τῶν τρόπων ὑμῶν διαδεί-

mvp-comment-86-1 μύσος προστρίβεσθαι.

mvp-comment-87-1 μόναι, ὡς ἀνήμερα θηρία.

mvp-comment-88-1 οὐκ κνυται. ἐπικοινωνῶν τῆι αἰτίᾶι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ παντὸς σὺ αἴτιος.

mvp-comment-89-1 ὥστε δέξασθαι τὸν φονέα.

mvp-comment-90-1 ἠθικεύσαντο τὰς διωκτρίας προπομποὺς εἰποῦσαι. προστέταχθε ποιεῖν περὶ (Abresch f. παρὰ) ἀνδροφόνου γυναικός; τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος φόνος οὐκ ἦν αὐθέντης, ὅ ἐστι μιαρός.

mvp-comment-91-1 τί

mvp-comment-92-1 ἡσυχαιτέραν: δολιωτέραν (δολ. auch f; σχολαιστέραν Voigt). δίκη τοῦ μητρώιου αἵματος.

mvp-comment-93-1 μή τοί τι (τι τοι Μ) θεῶν μήνιμα γένωμαι (Hom. X 358).

mvp-comment-94-1 ἀκάθαρτον.

mvp-comment-95-1 ἀντὶ τοῦ) ἐπελθόντα.

mvp-comment-96-1 ἄλλοις προστριψάμενον τὸ μύσος. ...

mvp-comment-97-1 ταῖς ἐννοίαις.

mvp-comment-98-1 ὡς αὐτόχρημα αἵματος ὄντος (αἷμα στάζοντος, vgl. u., Weckl.) Ὀρέστου καὶ μιαίνοντος τὴν γῆν ἧς ἐφάψεται. τετραυματισμέ(νον): τὸ μὲν ἀπορρεῖν τὸ αἷμα παραδοξολογίας ἐστὶ τραγικῆς· ὅρα δὲ μὴ ἐκβαίνει τὴν πίστιν ὁ ἀπὸ Ἄργους εἰς Δελφοὺς ἥκων, εἶτα ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Ἀθήνας, καὶ ἔτι αἷμα στάζων ἀπὸ τοῦ ξίφους. φαντασία οὖν ἀμήχανος· ἀλλὰ καὶ συγκέχυται τῆι παραδοξολογίᾶι.

mvp-comment-99-1 τὸ ἡμέτερον σπλάγχνον.

mvp-comment-100-1 ὅτι μὴ πτερωτὰς εἰσήγαγεν αὐτάς (auf ein x be-

mvp-comment-101-1 μεγαλοκμῆσιν. züglich).

mvp-comment-102-1 καταπτήξας πρὸς τῶι ἀγάλματι.

mvp-comment-103-1 προσσαίνει.

mvp-comment-104-1 τὸ αὐτὸ πρόσωπόν ἐστι.

mvp-comment-105-1 ἀτίτας: ἀτιμώρητος (ἀτιμ. auf f).

mvp-comment-106-1 ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ἡμῖν χρεωστεῖ πρόσφυξ θέλει γενέσθαι τῆς θεοῦ.

mvp-comment-107-1 οὐ πάρεστιν αὐτῶι νικῆσαι ἡμᾶς.

mvp-comment-108-1 τὸ ἅπαξ χυθὲν αἷμα δυσίατον.

mvp-comment-109-1 πᾶν διερὸν ἐκκεχυμένον εἰς τὴν γῆν δυσαγκόμιστον· τοιοῦτο οὖν καὶ τὸ αἷμα. τὸ βρέξαν τὴν γῆν.·

mvp-comment-110-1 ἐγὼ

mvp-comment-111-1 καταπίνειν.

mvp-comment-112-1 θρόμβον αἵματος.

mvp-comment-113-1 δικαστής. γρά(φωι): ἐφορᾶι δὲ πάντα ἀναγραφόμενος αὐτὰ τῆι ἰδίᾶι δέλτωι. διδαχ(θείς): διδαχθεὶς πολλοὺς καθαρμούς, ὅ ἐστι, τηλικαῦτα ἀτυχήσας (Steph. f. ἀψ.), ἃ πολλῶν ἐδεήθη καθαρμῶν. ἄλλως· οἱ ἐναγεῖς οὔτε ἐν ἱερῶι προσ ήιεσαν οὔτε προσέβλεπον (προέβλ. Μ) οὐδὲ (Rob. f. οὐ) διελέγοντό τινι. (καὶ παρ᾿ Εὐριπίδηι) (Frg. 996 Ν.) „τί σιγᾶις; μῶν φόνον τιν᾿ ἠργάσω“; (εἰργ. Μ). ἐπεὶ οὖν Ὀρέστης μέλλει διαλέγεσθαι δοκῶν ἔτι ἐναγὴς εἶναι, ἐγώ, φησί, διδαχθεὶς σὺν κακῶι τῶι ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ οἷον διδασκάλοις χρησάμενος ταῖς ἐμαῖς συμφοραῖς, ἐπίσταμαι καὶ σιγᾶν καὶ λαλεῖν ὅπου δεῖ, ἑκατέρου καιρὸν γινώσκων.

mvp-comment-114-1 κοιμάται.

mvp-comment-115-1 ἐκκεκαθαρμένον.

mvp-comment-116-1 ἐβλάπτοντο γὰρ οἱ μυσαροῖς (Steph. f. -ροὶ) ξυντυγχάνοντες.

mvp-comment-117-1 λείπει ἐμέ. ὡς τότε συμμαχούντων Ἀργείων Αθηναίοις.

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-125-1 ἐπεὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς μητρὸς Ὀρέστου ἀγωνίζονται, εἰκότως τὴν μητέρα ἑαυτῶν ὀνομάζουσιν.

mvp-comment-126-1 ζῶσι καὶ θανοῦσιν ἔκδικον.

mvp-comment-127-1 τὸν τῶι ἰδίωι θανάτωι ἀφαγνιοῦντα τὸν φόνον τῆς μητρός· ἅγνισμα δέ τινες εὐφήμως τὸ μόλυσμα.

mvp-comment-104-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 265

mvp-comment-104-2 erstes Epeisodion. Apollon tritt wieder hervor und jagt nachher die Erinyen aus seinem Tempel: der Chor tritt also auf die Bühne heraus und Apollon folgt ihnen. Damit wird die zu 63 erwähnte Maschinerie zurückgedreht.

mvp-comment-108-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 266

mvp-comment-108-2 χλοῦνις ist nur aus dieser Stelle bekannt. Es scheint mit χλόη, χλόος zusammenzuhängen und wie χλούνης mit ἀφριστής erklärt wurde: χλουδεῖν γὰρ τὸ ἀφρίζειν τινὲς Δωριέων ἔλεγον (Schol. zu Hom. I 539 ), so dürfte χλοῦνις den Schaum des männlichen Samens bezeichnen, der Sinn also sein: ,Wo durch Entmannung der Saft der Kinderzeugung geschädigt Unsicher ist auch die Bedeutung des Wortes ακρωνία. Das Schol. :

soll wohl lauten: κακῶν ἄθροισις ἡ λιθοβολία. Darnach erhielte man den Sinn: „,Wo als Krönung der Qualen die Steinigung stattfindet." Auch anderswo ( Bekk. Anecd. p. 372, 2 , Etym. M. p. 53, 41 , Hesych.) findet sich die Erklärung άθροισμα und σύστημα neben ἀκρότης, ἀκμή, παράστασις, πλῆθος. Aber sie scheint blofs aus unserer Stelle gewonnen sein und das folgende te muſs und" bedeuten, ἀκρωνία also eine Marter bezeichnen. Deshalb ist die von H. Stephanus angenommene Bedeutung ἀκρωτηριασμός (Verstümmelung an Händen und Fülsen) wahrscheinlich, wie ein Schol., welcher χλοῦνις ἀκρωνία verbindet, dieses mit ἡ ἀκμαία ἀποκοπή erklärt. Davies vermutet ἄκρων του μαί. μύζουσιν οἰκτισμὸν πολύν d. i. das Stöhnen der Gepfählten ist herzzerreifsend. Eine ähnzu liche Zusammenstellung der ärgsten Qualen kommt Plat. Gorg. p. 473 C vor: ἐὰν στρεβλῶται καὶ ἐκτέμνηται καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκκάηται καὶ τὸ ἔσχατον ἀνασταυρωθῇ καὶ καταπιττωθῇ. Vgl. Eur. Iph. Τ. 1429 ὡς ἢ κατὰ στύφλου πέτρας ῥίψωμεν ἢ 'ν σκόλοψι πήξωμεν δέμας. Als eine nur Barbaren zukommende Strafart wird das Pfählen Herod. IX 79

τὰ πρέπει μᾶλλον βαρβάροισι ποιέειν ἤπερ Ελλησι,

bezeichnet: sagt Pausanias zu dem Tegeaten, welcher die Leiche des Mardonios zur Sühne für Leonidas aufzuspielsen vorschlägt.

mvp-comment-108-3 ¹

mvp-comment-109-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 266

mvp-comment-109-2 ὑπὸ ῥάχιν ist in der Handschrift vielleicht mit Recht ὑπόρραχιν geschrieben. Wenigstens entspricht dieses der Aussprache.

mvp-comment-110-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 266

mvp-comment-110-2 οἵας ἑορτῆς (ironisch) στέργηθρα ἔχουσαι θεοὶς ἀπόπτυστοί ἐστε. ὑφηγεῖται, führt (weist) darauf hin. Prom. 98

, Catull. LXIV

mvp-comment-111-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 266

mvp-comment-111-2 Eumenides, quibus anguino redimita capillo frons exspirantis praeportat pectoris iras.

mvp-comment-112-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 266

mvp-comment-112-2 ἐν χρηστηρίοις τρίβεσθαι μύσος s. v. a. χρηστηρίοις ἐντρίβεσθαι (Schol. προστρίβεσθαι) μύ σος, eigentlich von sich Greuel auf das Heiligtum abreiben" d. h. durch Berührung das Heiligtum mit Greuel besudeln. πλουσίοισι: die Pracht des Tempels steht in Widerspruch mit der ekelhaften Gestalt der Erinyen. Vgl. Soph. Oed. T. 151 τᾶς πολυχρύσου Πυθῶνος, Hom. I 404 .

mvp-comment-113-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-113-2 Schol. μόναι, ὡς ἀνήμερα θηρία. Vielmehr wird ἄνευ βοτῆgos durch den folgenden Vers erklärt: sein." ,Kein Gott mag euer Hirte So spricht Apollon als vóUber δὲ zu Ag. 437 . μιος.

mvp-comment-113-3 ²

mvp-comment-114-1 ³

mvp-comment-114-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-114-3 πῶς δή, zu Ag. 548 .

mvp-comment-115-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-115-2 ἔχρησας ὥστε: zu Ag. 1394 f.

mvp-comment-116-1 ⁴

mvp-comment-116-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-116-3 κλέψαι (mit List bewerkstelligen) wie Soph. El. 37 der dem Orestes erteilte Auftrag des Phöbos lautet: δόλοισι κλέψαι χειρὸς ἐνδίκους σφαγάς. τί μήν: zu Ag. 14 .

mvp-comment-117-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-117-2 Und dann nahmst du es auf dich, dem frischen Morde eine Zuflucht zu bieten. Vgl. Plat. Phil. p. 19A

: es ist nicht so schlimm, wenn nach längerer Zeit infolge von Sühnungen und Reinigungen die Blutschuld abgeschwächt ist. Vgl. 238 f.

mvp-comment-118-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-118-2 τὰς προπομπούς: wenn du den Orestes hieher bestellt hast, so müssen auch seine Geleiterinnen hieher kommen.

mvp-comment-119-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-119-2 πρόσφορον (dienlich, zuträglich) (ἐστὶ τὰς προπομποὺς oder ὑμᾶς μολεῖν. Stanley vermutet πρόσφοροι.

mvp-comment-120-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-120-2 τοῦτο hat Bezug auf τὰς προπομπούς, also τὸ προπέμπειν d. i. διώκειν τοὺς μητροκτόνους.

mvp-comment-121-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-121-2 τιμή und γέρας wie 422 (Ehrenamt). Doch klingt γέρας καλόν spättisch.

mvp-comment-122-1 ⁵

mvp-comment-122-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-122-3 τί γὰρ γυναῖκας ποιεῖτε; Denn aus ἐλαύνομεν ergänzt sich der allgemeine Begriff des Anthuens. ἥτις nach γυναῖκας wie Hom. Τ 260 ἐρινύες, αἵ τ᾽ ὑπὸ γαῖαν ἀνθρώπους τίνυνται, ὅ τίς κ᾿ ἐπίορκον ομόσσῃ, Soph. El. 1506 τοῖς πᾶσιν, ὅστις πέρα πράσσειν γε τῶν νόμων θέλει, Ai. 760 , Eur. Hek. 359

Med. 220 , Androm. 180, El. 934 , Hel. 942, frg. 347, 778. Über den Konjunktiv ohne άv vgl. 234, 337, 664, zu Ag. 762 und Krüger I § 54,

mvp-comment-123-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 267

mvp-comment-123-2 αὐθέντης wie αὐτόχειρ, wer sein eigenes Blut vergiefst, indem er Blutsverwandte umbringt. Vgl. Ag. 1572 , Eur. Herc. 839 . Es verstärkt also die Bedeutung von ὅμαιμος. Dafs nur derjenige, der Blutsverwandte tötet, der Rache der Erinyen verfällt, bringen die Erinyen auch 608 vor, um sich wegen der unterlassenen Verfolgung der Klytämestra zu rechtfertigen.

mvp-comment-123-3 ⁶

mvp-comment-124-1 ⁷

mvp-comment-124-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-124-3 ἄτιμά ἐστι. παρ᾽ οὐδὲν ἤρκεσεν, kraftlos sind nach deinen Reden, daher das Präteritum). Mit παρ᾽ οὐδὲν ἀρκεῖν vgl. 849, Ag. 239 und Ausdrücke wie παρ' ὀλίγον εἶναι, παρ᾽ οὐδὲν κήδεσθαι, παρὰ μικρὸν ἡγεῖσθαι.

mvp-comment-125-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-125-2 "Ηρας πιστώματα, der Bund, den die Ehegottheiten geschlossen haben. Ἥρα τελεία wie frg. 329 Ἥρα τελεία, Ζηνὸς εὐναία δάμαρ. Sie heifst so als die Göttin der Ehe, welche dem Bündnisse die Weihe giebt. Denn τέλος (Weihe) ὁ γάμος ἐκαλεῖτο Poll. III 38 . Schol. zu Aristoph. Thesm. 973

. Daher τέλος θαλεροῖο γάμοιο Hom. v 74 , γαμήλιον τέλος unten 838.

mvp-comment-126-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-126-2 Die eheliche Verbindung, über welche Dike wacht, steht höher als der Eid, weil das Bündnis zu einer Bestimmung des Schicksals wird ( μόρσιμος). Vgl. 962. Die Monogamie führte man auf Kekrops zurück nach Athen. XIII p. 555 D ἐν δὲ ᾿Αθήναις πρῶτος Κέκροψ μίαν ἑνὶ ἔζευξεν.

mvp-comment-126-3 ⁸

mvp-comment-127-1 ⁹

mvp-comment-127-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-127-3 Wenn du den Mördern von Gatten gegenüber lässig bist, so dafs du keine Rache an ihnen nimmst und sie nicht ingrimmig mit strafendem Blicke verfolgst u. s. w. Über τὸ μή zu Ag. 1589 . πτεύειν: Ζη Cho. 1 . ἐπο-

mvp-comment-128-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-128-2 Das eine (die That des Orestes) nimmst du dir sehr zu Herzen, das andere (die That der Klyt.) behandelst du augenscheinlich ruhiger (von dem anderen läfst du dich nicht aufregen); du bist also parteiisch.

mvp-comment-129-1 ¹⁰

mvp-comment-129-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-129-3 καὶ . . τίθου, und mache dir nur Mühe zu Mühe; etwas anderes wirst du mit der Verfolgung nicht erreichen. πόνῳ πόνον wie Soph. Ai. 866

. Vgl. Pers. 1042

δόσιν κακὰν κακῶν κακοῖς

und die besonders bei Euripides häufigen Ausdrücke wie ἄχεα ἄχεσι, πήματα πήμασι, δάκρυα δάκρυσι, φόνῳ φονος.

mvp-comment-130-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 268

mvp-comment-130-2 οὐδ᾽ ἂν δεχοίμην : zu Ag. 287 (,, nicht einmal geschenkt möchte ich dein Ehrenamt annehmen“). — ὥστε: zu Ag. 1394 .

mvp-comment-131-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-131-2 Du bedarfst freilich meiner Ehren nicht; denn immerhin bist du grofs am Thron des Zeus. - πάρ: durch die epische Apokope wird die Auflösung der Länge vermieden.

mvp-comment-132-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-132-2 δίκας tritt als inneres Objekt zu μέτειμι τόνδε ( Ag. 1666 ). Eur. Bakeh. 345 τῆς σῆς δ᾽ ἀνοίας τόνδε τὸν διδάσκαλον δίκην μέτειμι und zu Cho. 144 . Das Präsens ἐκκυνηγετῶ, weil bei diesen Worten der Chor (durch den linken Zugang der Bühne) hinausstürmt. Dagegen hat μέτειμι die gewöhnliche Bedeutung des Fut. ( Krüger II § 53, 1, 6 nimmt hier wie Sept. 360

als Präsens).

mvp-comment-133-1 ¹¹

mvp-comment-133-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-133-3 Der Daktylus des dritten Fulses ist gebildet wie 449, 589, Ag. 1584 u. a. Vgl. zu Cho. 567 .

mvp-comment-134-1 ¹²

mvp-comment-134-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-134-3 Der Relativsatz ὃς προδῷ (zu 211) σφ' ἑκών vertritt einen Dativ zu δεινὴ πέλει. Der Schol. erinnert an Hom. X 358

. Apollon tritt zurück in den Tempel. Dann, nachdem die Bühne vollständig leer ist, ändert sich wie Soph. Ai. 814 die Scenendekoration; die neue Hauptdekoration stellt den Tempel der Athena Polias in Athen vor mit dem Bildnisse der Göttin. Orestes erscheint und kniet an dem Bildnisse nieder. Zwischen dem ersten und zweiten Teile mufs man sich geraume Zeit vergangen denken. Vgl. 284 f.

mvp-comment-135-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-135-2 ist gewissermafsen ein zweiter Prolog vor der Epiparodos (vgl. zu_1).

mvp-comment-136-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-136-2 αλάστορα, den infolge einer Blutschuld Umherirrenden. Vgl. Einl. S. 19 N.

mvp-comment-137-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-137-2 προστρόπαιος wie 448 einer der als befleckt um Sühne fleht. ἀφοίβαντον, ἀκάθαρτον Schol. und Hesych.

mvp-comment-137-3 ¹³

mvp-comment-138-1 ¹⁴

mvp-comment-138-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 269

mvp-comment-138-3 ἀμβλύς und προστετριμμένος von der Befleckung, welche durch Berührung abgerieben und matt gemacht ist, auf die befleckte Person übertragen. Von einer Reinigung, die dem Orestes bei den Trözeniern zu teil geworden sein soll, berichtet Paus. II 31, 8

. . . καθῆραι δέ φασιν Ορέστην καθαρσίοις καὶ ἄλλοις καὶ ὕδατι τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ἱππου κρήνης. Aschylos spricht 282 und 581 blofs von einer Reinigung durch Apollon (vgl. Cho. 1057 ). Der unschädliche Verkehr mit anderen Menschen war eine Probe der Reinheit (283) und trug dazu bei, das Schuldbewusstsein abzuschwächen. πρὸς | ἄλλοισιν wie Soph. Oed. Τ. 555 ἐπὶ [ τὸν σεμνόμαντιν, Phil. 626 ἐπὶ | ναῦν, Oed. K. 495 ἐν | τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι.

mvp-comment-139-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-139-2 ἐκπερῶν: ich bin zu anderen Häusern und in Verkehr mit den Menschen gekommen, als ich über Land und Meer wanderte.

mvp-comment-140-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-140-2 Dem Auftrag des Loxias gemäfs nahe ich deinem Tempel. Vgl. 79 f. Zu δῶμα ergänzt sich τὸ σόν leicht.

mvp-comment-141-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-141-2 βρέτας τὸ σὸν φυλάσσων (wie 442 f.), dein Bild bewachend d. i. es nicht verlassend. αὐτοῦ drückt den Entschlufs aus nicht vorher von der Stelle zu weichen.

mvp-comment-142-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-142-2 Epiparodos (vgl. zu 1). Der Chor tritt zerstreut auf ( τινὲς δέ φασιν ἐν τῇ ἐπιδείξει τῶν Εὐμενίδων σποράδην εἰσαγαγόντα τὸν χορὸν τοσοῦτον ἐκπλῆξαι τὸν δῆμον κτέ. im βίος Αἰσχύλου); zuerst erscheint wie Soph. Ai. 866 der eine Halbchor, dem der Koryphaios als Führer vorausgeht; den Worten der Führerin (1) erwidert der Halbchor (2). Dann kommen nach einander die sechs Mitglieder des anderen Halbchors (3-8). Erst bei 307 ( χορὸν ἅψωμεν) ordnen sie sich in Reihe und Glied. τόδε auf den Boden deutend, wo sie Blutspuren zu sehen glaubt, vgl. αἵματι στάζοντα χείρας 41 f., wiewohl Orestes jetzt von Apollon gereinigt ist. Zu 281.

mvp-comment-143-1 ¹⁵

mvp-comment-143-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-143-3 Das Blut ist ihm ein uŋvvτὴρ ἄφθεγκτος. Vgl. zu Ag. 82 und ἀφώνους μάρτυρας Eur. Hipp. 1076 .

mvp-comment-144-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-144-2 ὡς γὰρ κύων τετραυματισμέ νον νεβρὸν κτἑ.

mvp-comment-145-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-145-2 πρός: vgl. Ag. 344

und unten zu 1006. πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σταλαγμόν d. i. πρὸς αἵματος σταλαγμόν.

mvp-comment-146-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-146-2 ανδροκμής hier nicht Männer (Menschen) ermüdend (tötend)" wie 957, Cho. 888 , Eur. Suppl. 525

sondern den Mann (Orestes) ermüdend". Schömann vermutet άg θροκμήσι und Heimsäth betrachtet das Schol. μεγαλοκμῆσιν, welches er in μελοκμῆσιν ändert, als Bestätigung von ἀρθροκμῆσι.

mvp-comment-147-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-147-2 σπλάγχνον: τὸ ἡμέτερον Schol. πεποίμανται, „ist abgetrieben worden".

mvp-comment-148-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-148-2 ἀπτέροις (51) ποτήμασιν: zu Ag. 82 . νεώς von dem Schiffe des Orestes.

mvp-comment-149-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-149-2 Hesych. καταπτακών· καταπτήξας (nach der Verbesserung von Lobeck für καταπλακών· καταπλήξας).

mvp-comment-150-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 270

mvp-comment-150-2 Asyndeton bei der Erklärung ( ὀσμὴ γὰρ κτέ). προσγελάwie

Prom. 861 , παιδός με σαίνει φθόγγος Soph. Ant. 1214 , blickt mich bekannt und traut an, erweckt in mir eine willkommene Erinnerung, ein angenehmes Gefühl.

mvp-comment-150-3 ¹⁶

mvp-comment-151-1 ¹⁷

mvp-comment-151-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-151-3 ὅρα ruft der Halbchor der spähenden Führerin zu. Soph. Oed. K. 118

μάλ᾽ αὖ (,,gar abermal" d. h. ich wiederhole es) wie μάλ' αὖθις Cho. 650 .

mvp-comment-151-4 ¹⁸

mvp-comment-152-1 ¹⁹

mvp-comment-152-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-152-3 Mit ὅδε weist die Führerin des zweiten Halbchors auf Orestes Wenn die Lesart γουνόν hin. richtig ist (vgl. Anhang), so scheint Aschylos das Homerische γουνὸν Αθηνάων ἱεράων (λ 323) von der Akropolis verstanden zu haben. In dem delphischen Orakel bei Plut. Thes. c. 3 , Schol. zu Eur. Med. 679 , Apollod. III 15, 6 wechseln die Lesarten πρὶν δημὸν ᾿Αθηνέων εἰσαφικέσθαι, πρὶν γουνὸν ᾿Αθηναίων ἀφικέσθαι, πρὶν ἐς ἄκρον Αθηναίων ἀφίκηαι. ζάθεον ist willkürliche Ergänzung zur Herstellung eines Trimeters, wie er die fünf folgenden Teile beginnt; ὡς scheint dem Sinne zu entsprechen:,,hier wieder eine hochheilige Höhe als Schutz, wie er sich einbildet, innehabend".

mvp-comment-152-4 ²⁰

mvp-comment-153-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-153-2 ὑπόδικος: ὑπεύθυνος, χρε ώστης, ἔνοχος δίκης Hesych. Er will sich vor Gericht rechtfertigen wegen Gewaltthat. Mit χερῶν vgl. αυτόχειρ.

mvp-comment-154-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-154-2 αἷμα μητρῷον τὸ ( ὃ) χαμαὶ διερὸν οἴχεται πέδοι χύμενον δυσ αγκόμιστον ( δυσανακομιστόν ἐστι, das Mutterblut, welches auf den Boden geflossen ist, zur Erde vergossen, ist nicht wieder zurückzubringen. Mit δυσαγκόμιστον vgl. τίς ἂν πάλιν ἀγκαλέσαιτο Ag. 1005 f. Die epische Form χύμενον auch Cho. 400 , Eur. Herakl. 76 .

mvp-comment-155-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-155-2 In δεῖ σ᾿ ἀντιδοῦναι ἐρυθρὸν πέλανον ῥοφεῖν ἀπὸ ζῶντος ἐκ μελέων steht der Infin. ῥοφεῖν wie in δοῦναι οἶνόν τινι πιεῖν. ἐρυθρὸν πέλανον: Pers. 818

, Etym. M. p. 695, 15

Ἀττικοὶ λέγουσι πέλανον πᾶν τὸ πεπηγός

.

mvp-comment-156-1 ²¹

mvp-comment-156-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 271

mvp-comment-156-3 ἀντίποινα ματροφόνου δύας, Bufse für den muttermordenden Schmerz d. i. für den von Schmerzen begleiteten Muttermord. Vgl. zu Ag. 735 .

mvp-comment-157-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-157-2 ἤλιτεν θεὸν . . τοκῆας wie ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι Hom. δ 378 , ἐκ γὰρ δή μ' ἀπάτησε καὶ ἤλιτεν 1 375, ὅ τις σφ᾽ ἀλίτηται Τ 265 u. a.

mvp-comment-158-1 ²²

mvp-comment-158-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-158-3 Der Ahndung der Erinyen fallen diejenigen anheim, welche sich gegen die drei Hauptgebote der griechischen Sittenlehre verfehlen. Vgl. zu 548. So sagt Horaz carm. II 13, 5 von dem, welcher der schlimmsten Verbrechen fähig ist, illum et parentis crediderim sui fregisse cervicem et penetralia sparsisse nocturno cruore hospitis. - Wegen des Plur. ἀσεβοῦντες nach dem kollektiven τὶς ἄλλος Krüger I § 58, 3, 5 . Die epische Form τοκῆας wie Eur. Phoen. 829

.

mvp-comment-159-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-159-2 εὔθυνος: δικαστής Schol. Pers. 830

.

mvp-comment-160-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-160-2 δελτογράφῳ: Soph. frg. 535

, Cic. Acad. II 1

ut nos litteris consignamus quae monumentis mandare volumus, sic ille (Lucullus) in animo res insculptas habebat

und zu Cho. 448 . Cho. 1 . ἐπωπα: 20

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-162-1 ²³

mvp-comment-162-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-162-3 καιρούς d. i. die rechte Zeit für das Reden wie für das Schweigen, vgl. Plat. Staat p. 374 Cov παριεὶς τοὺς καιρούς und zu Cho. 580 . Diese Stelle scheint die Vorlage für frg. I der Eumen. des Ennius gewesen zu sein: Ita sapere opino esse optumum, ut pro viribus Tacere ac fabulari tute noveris.

mvp-comment-163-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-163-2 μητροκτόνον μίασμα: Vgl. κηλὶς μητροκτόνος Eur. Iph. T. 1200 und zu Ag. 735 . Wenn die Erinyen 247 u. a. immer noch Blut sehen, so wollen sie jede Möglichkeit der Reinigung eines Muttermörders in Abrede stellen.

mvp-comment-164-1 ²⁴

mvp-comment-164-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 272

mvp-comment-164-3 ποταίνιον ὄν, als es noch frisch war. Vgl. Cho. 1053 . πρὸς ἑστία θ. Φ. gehört zu ἠλάθη. χοιροκτόνοις (zu Ag. 735 ): Ferkelblut galt als entsühnend und wurde bei Reinigungsopfern vielfach gebraucht, so bei den περίστια vor Be- ginn der Volksversammlung (Schol. zu Aristoph. Ekkl. 128 , Poll. VIII 104 ), denen die römischen suovetaurilia entsprechen, und sonst, vgl. zu 453 und Plaut. Men. 292 . Einl. S. 17 N. 2.

mvp-comment-165-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-165-2 πολὺς . . ἐξ ἀρχῆς λόγος d.i. ich würde viel zu sagen haben, wenn ich von Anfang an erzählen wollte.

mvp-comment-166-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-166-2 Schol. ἐβλάπτοντο γὰρ οἱ μυσαροῖς ξυντυγχάνοντες.

mvp-comment-167-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-167-2 Der Vers, welcher dem Zusammenhange der Stelle, nach der Phöbos den Orestes gereinigt hat, nicht entspricht, ist von Musgrave ausgeschieden worden. Der Sinn ist:,,alles (also auch die Befleckung) entkräftet die mit ihm alternde Zeit" d. i. je älter eine Sache wird, um so mehr wird sie geschwächt. Die Zeit wird als alternd mit dem Alternden gedacht, vgl. Prom. 1013

. Ein ähnlicher Vers findet sich bei Stob. fl. 126, 8 χρόνος δ᾽ ἀμαυροῦ πάντα κεἰς λήθην ἄγει.

mvp-comment-168-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-168-2 Ἀθηναία, die alte feierliche, in Inschriften bis auf die Zeit des Euklides herab häufig (gewöhnlich mit Artikel ἡ ᾿Αθηναία) vorkommende Form, auch 299, 617, Eur. Iph. T. 1436 , sonst bei den Tragikern Ἀθάνα.

mvp-comment-169-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-169-2 κτήσεται, nämlich als Herrin dieses Landes ", also für Attika. Vgl. zu 765.

mvp-comment-170-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 273

mvp-comment-170-2 αὐτόν scil. ἐμέ. τὸν Ἀργεῖον λεὼν . . σύμμαχον: Schol. :

. Einl. S. 23. δικαίως, ὀρθῶς, ἀληθῶς, aufrichtig, ehrlich. Vgl. πανδίκως εὐσεβής Suppl. 424

ὀρθῶς ἐνδίκως τ᾽ ἐπώνυμον

Sept. 392

ἣν εὑρεθῇς ἐς τήνδε μὴ δίκαιος ὤν

Soph. Trach. 411 .

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 ²⁵

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 ²⁶

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.

mvp-comment-185-1 ²⁷

mvp-comment-185-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-185-3 Mit εὐθυδίκαιοι (gerecht richtend) vgl. ὀρθοδίκαιος 995. μαιόμεθα (wir bestreben uns wie μαιομένοις Cho. 782

Soph. Ai. 287 .

mvp-comment-186-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-186-2 ,,Wohl dem, der frei von Schuld und Fehle" u. s. w.

mvp-comment-187-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-187-2 ἀσινὴς . . διοιχνεί scil. ἕκα στος wie 340. Vgl. Plat. Prot. p. 324

mvp-comment-188-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-188-2 ἐπικρύπτει, wer verstohlen des Mordes schwere That vollbracht".

mvp-comment-189-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-189-2 μάρτυρες ορθοί (deren Zeugnis sich aufrecht erhält), vgl. Soph. Ai. 354 ὀρθὰ (was sich als wahr bestätigt) μαρτυρείν, Ant. 1195

.

mvp-comment-190-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 275

mvp-comment-190-2 πράκτορες, vgl. χερὶ πράκτορι Ag. 113 und φόνου πράκτορα Soph. El. 953 . τελέως: τα 954.

mvp-comment-190-3 ²⁸

mvp-comment-191-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-191-2 erstes Stasimon, welches besonders in den Ephymnien den Charakter des ὕμνος δέσμιος hat. ,, Apollon beraubt uns unseres Rechtes, indem er uns diesen Flüchtling entzieht, der uns zur Sühne des Muttermords zukommt und dem unser grauser Gesang gilt. Denn SO hat das Schicksal bestimmt, dafs wir die Mörder verfolgen und peinigen. Drum weil Umsturz von Häusern unser Los ist, haben die Götter des Lichts keine Gemeinschaft mit uns und Feste der Freude sind uns versagt. Dafür sind die Götter dieser traurigen Sorge überhoben und brauchen sich nicht mit Blutbefleckten zu befassen. Wir verfolgen den Mörder und stürzen ihn von der Höhe seines Ruhms. Er wird, ohne dessen in seiner Geistesnacht inne zu werden, von der Stimme des Volkes verurteilt und allgemeine Mifsachtung umnachtet sein Haus (vgl. Cho. 53 ff. , Ag. 463 ff. ). So steht es fest: Geniessen wir auch nicht die Ehre, den oberen Göttern gesellt zu sein, so haben doch die Sterblichen die vom Schicksal gegebene Satzung, auf der unser altheiliges Amt beruht, zu fürchten und zu verehren." Wenn man aus den drei Ephymnien schliefsen darf, wird jedes der drei ersten Strophenpaare von einem Stoichos, die Ephymnien und das vierte Strophenpaar von dem Gesamtchore vorgetragen.

mvp-comment-192-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-192-2 Nicht unpassend ist die Bemerkung des Schol. :

mvp-comment-193-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-193-2 Νύξ: zu 69. ποινὰν (abstr. pro concr.) ἀλαοῖσι καὶ δεδορκόσιν steht prädikativ zu μέ. ἀλαοῖσι καὶ δεδορκόσιν, Schol. ζῶσι καὶ θανοῦσιν. Vgl. 391.

mvp-comment-194-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-194-2 ἄτιμόν με τίθησιν d. i. macht mich rechtlos.

mvp-comment-195-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-195-2 πτῶκα κτἑ., den feigen Flüchtling (vgl. πτώσσοντας ὑφ᾽ Ἕκτορι Hom. Η 129 ), der nach Fug und Recht als Reinigungsmittel des Muttermords herhalten mufs, also uns nicht entzogen werden darf. Zu 292. Mit κύριον vgl. κύριοι 127.

mvp-sidgwick-99-1-1 A corrupt and difficult line: MSS. read-

The explanation turns on the meaning of χλοῦνις. (1) One of the Schol. understands it to mean castration: and this is supported by Aristotle (Hist. An. 6. 28), who says distinctly τῶν δὲ ἀρρένων καὶ ἀγρίων οἱ τομίαι μείζους γίγνονται καὶ χαλεπώτεροι, ὥσπερ καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν (11. 9. 539), Τρέψεν ἔπι χλούνην σῦν ἄγριον : which proves that Arist. took χλούνης=τομίας: ΕEustathius (772), who quotes the authority of Aeschylus, Aelian, and Aristotle for this int.: and Aeschylus himself, who (Frag. 62) has χλούνης apparently meaning eunuch; but (2) others reply that Homer cannot have meant a σûς τομίας but the opposite : and hence χλοῦνις = virility. These retain κακοῦται and read ἀποφθορᾷ, translating 'and by the destruction of the seed the virility of boys is ruined.' So Dind. Pal. Weil.

mvp-sidgwick-99-2-1 In favour of (1) is the very strong evidence of Aristotle, backed by Schol. and Eustathius, and further the run of the lines, which consists of a heap of abstract nouns which would be very harshly broken by a finished sentence. We must therefore assume κακοῦται corrupt: though no satisfactory emendation has been suggested. We may add that those who support (2) assume that Aeschylus must have used the word in the Homeric sense: but it is quite possible that he may have misused an old word, and made the same mistake as Aristotle: and the evidence of Frag. 62 confirms this.

μύζουσιν οἰκτισμὸν πολύν , make sore and piteous moaning, a terribly graphic expression for the slow torture of impalement.

ἑορτῆς . depends on στέργηθρα: what manner of feast it is ye love, loathed of the gods [lit. what... loving, ye are loathed ...].

ὑφηγεῖται , lit. leads to it: i. e. shews it.

πλησίοισι , close at hand, seems rather a feeble word and is perhaps corrupt: though none of the suggestions (πλουσίοισι Pauw., πανθύτοισι Mein., Πυθίοισι Mart., and many others worse) are convincing: Πυθίοισι perhaps the best.

τρίβεσθαι μύσος , rub off their foul pollution, a forcible and contemptuous phrase.

mvp-sidgwick-104-1-1 Observe the fine sudden figure, after his manner: Begone, ye flock without a shepherd: no god loves such a herd.

mvp-sidgwick-105-1-1 MSS. read εἰς τὸ πᾶν, the copyists having fallen into the common Aeschylean phrase, here very flat and inappropriate: Canter's εἷς τὸ πᾶν makes it at once forcible and right.

τοσοῦτο , i. e. as to explain.

mvp-sidgwick-107-1-1 Note the idiomatic use of ὥστε instead of simple acc. and infin. So Thuc. 1. 119 δεηθέντες ὥστε ψηφίσασθαι, 5. 17 ψηφισαμένων ὥστε καταλύεσθαι, Eur. Hipp. 1327

Soph. Phil. 656

ἆρ᾽ ἔστιν ὥστε . . . λαβεῖν.

πρᾶξαι , to exact, plainly the right word here: MSS. read πέμψαι, ‘to send, which is explained as meaning to Agamemnon: but that would surely require τῷ πατρί. τί μήν; lit. what then? i. e. why not? So, e. g. Plat. Theaet. 145 ἢ οὐχ ἅπερ οἱ ἐπιστήμονες ταῦτα καὶ σοφοί ; (answer) τί μήν;

mvp-sidgwick-109-1-1 To welcome blood new-shed is a bold and vivid phrase for received the murderer red-handed.

mvp-sidgwick-110-1-1 Certainly to be written a question.

κόμπασον γέρας καλόν , ironical: go boast thy glorious office!

ἥτις νοσφίσῃ , a woman who slays: the subjunctive indefinite, because, as frequently, the special case is (rhetorically) put in general terms. The absence of av is Epic usage, common in Trag. and found even in Attic prose, οὗ βραχεῖς ἀρκῶσι Thuc. 4. 17, οἵτινες νομίσωσι 4. 18, ᾧ μὴ ᾖ Plat. Phaedr. 247 B.

αὐθέντης φόνος , the murder of a kinsman; the most fearful pollution according to the Greek view: so much so that a sharp distinction was drawn (as here) between the murder of a husband (not an ὅμαιμος) and the murder of a mother.

mvp-sidgwick-114-1-1 I take the best suggestion, εἰργάσω (Wordsw.), out of many¹ for the corrupt MSS. reading ᾐρκέσω. It must be some word with simple meaning, like thou hast made despised and dishonoured (lit. of no value), to suit both ἄτιμα and παρ᾽ οὐδέν.

mvp-sidgwick-115-1-1 The Marriage of Zeus and Hera was the ἱερὸς γάμος, the sacred or ideal marriage: and "Hpa was called Τελεία, the Accomplisher, as marriage was a τέλος or accomplished rite.

mvp-sidgwick-116-1-1 For marriage ordained by Fate for man and woman is stronger than an Oath, and guarded by Justice. These fine lines containing an ideal of marriage as an indissoluble bond under the highest sanctions seem in advance of ordinary Greek thought and feeling on the subject; but we must remember that Aeschylus belongs to the older school, and one of the charges against the younger poets was that they lowered the ideal of marriage: and further that the immense care of the Athenian 1 ἧκέ σοι Η., ἤρκεσεν Musgr. Weil., ἡρμόσω Merk., ᾐδέσω Well., Hart. ἀρκέσει Bothe; these are the better ones. B law for legitimacy, and the excessive seclusion of women, point in the same direction. [Weck. reads κτείνουσι συλλέκτρους: ingenious.]

mvp-sidgwick-117-1-1 MSS. read τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι, which must be wrong. The neatest emendation is Meineke's (adopted by Hart. Weil. Dind.) τίνεσθαι, to punish, which I have taken. The word is usually employed of the injured man punishing the wrong-doer, and means properly to get payment (middle): but it is not a great stretch to use it of the Furies who are personally interested in the penalty, and may be said to get payment. Of the other numerous corrections only Wakefield's μέλεσθαι need be mentioned. ἐποπτεύειν, look down on them: the proper word for a god's visitation or guidance :

Cho. 1063 ,

θεοὺς ἄνωθεν γῆς ἐποπτεύειν ἄχη

Ag. 1579 ,

πατρῷ᾽ ἐποπτεύων κράτη

Cho. 1 , etc.

ἐνθυμουμένην , taking to heart.

πράσσουσαν ἡσυχαιτέραν , ' more remiss in act, the adj. by a common poetic variation for adv. with verb. Somewhat similarly in prose σχολαῖος, χρόνιος, ἄσμενος, etc., are used adverbially.

δίκας ἐποπτεύσει , shall watch the pleadings, i. e. direct the trial.' δίκαι plural is usually pleas of right, not vengeance. So

Ag. 813 , hearing the cause :

κραίνετε δίκας

Cho. 462 ,

ὑστάτας δίκας

Suppl. 230 , the last trial.

δ᾽ οὖν , well then, impatient and contemptuous. So Prom. 935

( put or make for yourself, middle), get. πλέω must be read for MSS. πλέον. In Ag. 1299 we have the opposite blunder of the copyist, χρόνῳ πλέω for χρόνον πλέω: mistakes constantly arising from terminations being erroneously assimilated.

mvp-sidgwick-122-1-1 The Chorus understand Apollo to threaten, and they proudly defend their privileges.

ὥστε , 202.

mvp-sidgwick-124-1-1 No need to alter πάρ into παρά (Porson): both the rhythm and the Epic use are like Aeschylus.

δίκας μέτειμι τόνδε , i.e. I will sue for justice on him; δίκας being a rather strange sort of internal acc., the δίκαι or pleadings shewing the nature of the pursuit; see line 224. The phrase implies. that the Eumenides are going to submit to a trial: δίκην μέτειμι τόνδε would mean simply I will visit vengeance on his head. μέτειμι and μετελθεῖν are used with three kinds of accusatives, the trial or vengeance, the crime, and the criminal. Here we have trial and criminal:

Eur. Or. 423 (crime and criminal): so

ἁρπαγὰς μετήλθετ᾽ Ἰλίου πόλιν

Eur. Cycl. 280 : Ag. 1666 (criminal only), Cho. 996 (crime only). *

εἰ προδῶ , Epic use of eἰ with subj. So

Suppl. 91 ,

μηδ᾽ εἰ στράτευμα πλεῖον ᾖ

Pers. 791 ,

εἰ μὴ τοῖον τύχῃ

Supp. 400 . [Apollo retires : and the Chorus leave the stage. Then the scene is changed to Athens: the temple of Athena Polias on the Acropolis: Orestes enters and kneels as a suppliant before the statue of Athena in the front.] This change of scene, being from one temple to another, would only require the alteration of the side scenes or περίακτοι. These were prismatic or three-sided scenes which were turned round to exhibit different surroundings: rather a primitive device. The altar and temple would remain; only the statues would have to be changed (242). [235-243. SCENE II, Part 1. Orestes prays for protection.]

προστρόπαιον , guilty here: see note on l. 41

. ἀφοίβαντον, uncleansed, from φοῖβος, bright (of course here with reference to the god). (Theocr. uses φοιβάω, to cleanse, later writers φοιβάζω : and φοιβαίνω is found in lexicographers.)

mvp-sidgwick-128-1-1 Orestes by a bold figure is said to be blunted and worn away, when what the poet really means is that the guilt is blunted and worn. In English we must say so. πρός, the light ending, where the sentence is broken in the most closely bound phrase, is rare in Aeschylus, though common enough in Sophocles : e.g. ἢ κατεῖχε τὸν | νέκυν: ἐὰν δέ τοι | ληφθῇ : τὸ γὰρ | πρᾶγμ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἔδρασα: εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὴ | φανεῖτε: παίσαντές τε καὶ | πληγέντες : all from Antigone. But there is no reason to suspect it.

mvp-sidgwick-129-1-1 The sentence begins very abruptly without connecting particle, so that many suspect corruption, and some (Prien. Pal.) attempt to cure it by reading l. 238

ἀλλ᾿ ἀμβλὺς ἤδη, προστετριμμένος τε and destroying stop at βροτῶν. Others make other alterations. But the antithesis οὐ προστροπαῖον . . . ἀλλ᾽ ἀμβλύς is very harsh: and the sentence inordinately long. The abruptness of ὅμοια χέρσον κ.τ.λ. does not seem impossible in the worn-out wanderer passionately seeking sanctuary. We have it again l. 242

.

mvp-sidgwick-129-2-1 [Orestes sinks down clasping the base of the statue. Enter the Chorus hunting the trail.]

mvp-sidgwick-130-1-1 The voiceless informer is of course the blood, which mysteriously continues to drop wherever he goes. The Scholiast, not a highly poetical person, remarks on the tragic improbability of blood yet dropping from the sword of a man who had come from Argos to Delphi and from Delphi to Athens.

φυσιᾷ σπλάγχνον , my heart gasps, loaded and emphatic diction. ἀνδροκμῆσιν has nothing to do with Orestes (as H. Mors.): it is simply, as Schol. understands it, right wearisome.

ἀπτέροις . : the Eumenides were not winged, l. 51

.

προσγελᾷ , delights : the bold figure not Aeschylean specially, but belonging to the Greek idiom : so σὲ τὰ φυτὰ προσγελάσεται Ar. Pax 600. It is exactly the Lat. adrideo.

ἀτίτας , unpunished: lit. unpaying (act.) as Aeschylus always uses τίνω of the culprit who pays penalty. [The word seems used in pass. sense Ag, 72.]

mvp-sidgwick-134-2-1 [There is no antistrophe to guide us here, and there are several minor variations of the MSS.: the metre, however, seems mainly dochmiac, and I have taken Hermann's emendations, which are the simplest: see crit. notes.]

πλεχθείς , twined, a strong word, describing Orestes' despairing clasp of the image.

mvp-sidgwick-136-1-1 The difficulty here is removed if we see that the emphasis (as so often in Greek) is on the participles. The Chorus just catch sight of him and cry:

i. e. 'Here he is! see, clasping the statue, and hoping to be tried under the goddess' protection; but it may not be, etc.' The trial is the necessary way to safety, and the Furies try to prevent it.

mvp-sidgwick-136-2-1 [Schol. has a strange note, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἡμῖν χρεωστεί προσφὸξ θέλει γενέσθαι τῆς θεοῦ, for what he owes to us he wishes to become suppliant of the goddess, which looks as if he read χρεῶν, to answer for his debts, and so Scaliger reads (followed by H. Linw. Hart. Weil. Wakef.). But χερῶν is a finer expression, and we may take the Medicean MS. against an inference from an obscure and prosaic note.]

mvp-sidgwick-137-1-1 This is best taken as two sentences (with M.), the idea being repeated, as commonly in all poetry, in two forms. The sense and language are then very fine :

The sentiment may be called the keynote of the three dramas; it is true of Iphigeneia τὸ δ᾽ ἐπὶ γᾶν πεσὸν ἅπαξ θανάσιμον ... μέλαν αἷμα τίς ἂν

πάλιν ἀγκαλέσαιτ᾽ ἐπαείδων;

(Ag. 1019 ), and is the real basis of all the forebodings in the midst of the king's triumphal return: it is true of Agamemnon,

τί γὰρ λύτρον πεσόντος αἵματος πέδοι;

(Cho. 48 ), and

νόμος ...φονίας σταγόνας χυμένας ἐς γᾶν ἄλλο προσαιτεῖν αἷμα

(ib. 400 ), and there it is the ground of the confident hope of vengeance; and it is true here of Orestes. See again below l. 647

.

δυσαγκόμιστον for δυσανάκομ- : the poetic use

χαμαί for χαμαὶ ὄν, and Epic passive form χύμενος, cf. Cho. 401 .

ῥοφεῖν , epexegetic for us to drink.

mvp-sidgwick-139-1-1 Generally read μελέων : better μελῶν, as an iambus is wanted for metre.

mvp-sidgwick-140-1-1 I take the best correction, the nearest to the MSS. and the best sense, ἀντιποίν᾽ ὡς τίνῃς ματροφόνου δύας, that thou may'st pay the full penalty for thy murdered mother's woe: the adj. ματροφόνου used with poetic elasticity, which is particularly noticeable in these compound adjectives.

τιν᾿ . ἀσεβῶν is perhaps incomplete, as coming between two dochmiacs it probably should be one itself. The neatest suggestion for completing it is Hermann's τιν᾿ οὐκ εὐσεβῶν. But in the uncertainty of the metre I have left the reading as the MSS. have it, especially as τιν' ἀσεβῶν is a resolved cretic, and we have cretics introduced l. 262

, and l. 266

.

mvp-sidgwick-142-1-1 For Hades under the earth is a mighty controller of men, and watches all with his recording heart. This conception of the Justice and Moral supremacy of the powers below is very fine, and noticeable as being rather unusual. The Powers below are often spoken of as terrible, and unforgetting, and so forth; but here the tone is higher. See Introduction.

καὶ λέγειν , i. e. and I know where it is right to speak. The double construction of ἐπίσταμαι is perhaps a little harsh, but there is no reason to suspect it.

mvp-sidgwick-143-2-1 The Schol. tells us that an ἐναγής (or person under a curse) might not go near anyone or look at or speak to him till purified. So Aeschylus himself below l. 448

. But the purification is complete l. 445

; and he has been ordered by the god l. 279

; and therefore he may speak l. 287

.

mvp-sidgwick-144-1-1 In the fine figurative style of Aeschylus the blood-stain slumbers and withers.

mvp-sidgwick-145-1-1 i. e. it would be long to tell from the beginning. ἐξ ἀρχῆς is by a slight stretch of usage, used closely with λόγος, equivalent to τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς λέγειν.

ἀβλαβεῖ , harmless; proving that he was purified.

mvp-sidgwick-147-1-1 I agree with Musgr. Herm. Hart. Dind. Weil. etc., that this line is spurious. It is clearly a proverbial line about the destructiveness of time; and even if we alter καθαιρεῖ τo καθαίρει with Stanl. Pal. etc. Aeschylus could not have said ( l. 283

) that Orestes was cleansed by sacrifice, and then abruptly ( l. 286

), Time cleanses all.

αὐτόν , myself: the me is not wanted after emphatic ἐμοί

mvp-sidgwick-148-2-1 The reference to the treaty formed 459 B. C. (the year before the play) between Athens and Argos against Sparta is obvious. See Introduction.

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 .

mvp-sidgwick-159-1-1 I take Hermann's original correction προνέμοντα, that puts forth for all to see: opposed to the action of the guilty man who hides ( l. 317

) his bloody hands.

mvp-sidgwick-160-1-1 I take Hermann's corr. εὐθυδίκαιοι (justified by

l. 994 ) and H. L. Ahrens' οἰόμεθ'.

πράκτορες , avengers, from πράσσειν in the special sense to exact a debt. So

l. 624 ,

χερὶ πράκτορι

Ag. 111 . For the masc. form πράκτωρ with fem. substantive cf. line 186.

τελέως , unfailingly: it goes with παραγιγ. πρακ. and expresses the persistent and complete vengeance.

ἀλαοῖσι καὶ δεδορκόσιν , the sightless and the seeing, i. e. the dead and the living. So

l. 388 .

ματρῷον ἅγνισμα κύριον φόνου , rightful atonement for a mother's blood ματρῷον poetically transferred from φόνου to ἄγνισμα, as the thought comes naturally in that order expiation for a mother for her blood. ...