Campbell City (part 9 of 13)

Parnes: or (2) 'Nor do the ever-wakeful rills decrease, dispensers of Cephisus' flood,' referring to the system of irrigation that goes on to this day. Although this allusion to an artificial process may seem unpoetical to the modern reader, the latter interpretation agrees better with besides giving a more definite meaning to and one immediately connected with Colonus. For a similar allusion in lyric poetry, cp. Pind. Ol. 5. 12, For the meaning of cp. Plat. Legg. 11. 931 .. where vomevs is similarly used.

688. .. 'But ever, each new day, with quickening power, he (Cephisus) pours his clear waters over the bosom of the plain.' Not=jyap ('day after day'), but 'on each day,' like Cp. Heracl. Fr., véos The hiatus between this and the following line indicates a pause before the change of rhythm.

689. Schol. Ellendt rightly observes that this explanation may stand although is to be joined (Gn the first instance) with émviocerat.

691. «.7.A.] Cp. the praise of Athens in Eur. Med. 830 ff. There was a temple of the Muses, near that of Athena, in the Academy. FPaus. I, 30, 2.

*dp' "Adpodira] There is some defect in the MS. text, as the hiatus | is not admissible between the two logaoedic lines. y' | (Brunck), | (Herm.), have been conjectured. may be suggested: dpa, i.e. as the beauty of the region testifies.

694. In expatiating on the glories of their home, the religious mind of the Coloniatae dwells chiefly on the rival gifts of Poseidon, their patron deity, and of Athena, the special patroness of horsemen (infr. 1070), and of the Morian olives (706), as well as of Athens and of the tree in the Acropolis. The chorus are thinking chiefly of their own neighbourhood. Only in Il. 711, 716-9, do they speak of what relates to Athens apart from Colonus. The olive-plant immediately referred to is that in the Academy, mentioned by Pausanias as having sprung up independently of the one in the Acropolis Paus. 1. 32. Onthe sacred feeling attaching to the Athenian olive, see also Hdt. 5. 82, 8. 55.

The genitive, "Actas, is rather partitive than possessive, and to be taken closely with éraxouw. 'A thing such as I cannot hear of anywhere in the Asian land, nor as having ever sprung,' etc. The participle is introduced by an afterthought in the second clause. The Peloponnese is called a Dorian island by an anachronism similar to that by which the Athenian youth are called Theseidae in 1066. Asia and the Peloponnese are cited as the two rivals of Athenian greatness.

dyeiperov| This reading is supported by the remark of Pollux, 2. 154, which probably refersto this passage, The simpler interpretation, however, is more probable, ' unravaged,' anticipating the thought in 699 and 702-5.

Simply ' childnourishing.' Cp. Hes. Op. 226, 'The interpretations which refer to the custom of suspending an olive-crown where a male child was born, or to the propagation of shoots and offsets from the parent stock, are more ingenious than true. For the synecdoche, cp. Aj. 14,

702. *veapds This line seems to have been tampered with by some one who had an ear for the iambic rhythm. The simplest alteration is to omit re and place a comma after ' Which no commander, young or old... For the order of vis see Essay on L. § 41. P. 71, and for the omission of the first ib. § 20, 67, and Phil. 771, For the variety of expression onpat- cp. Ant. 808, _véarov .. adds: and for the dative which has given offence, O. T. 172, 'assuredly.' Cp. El. 1240, x.7.A. Sophocles, in his description, blends the olive of the region, whether that in the temple of Athena Polias in the Acropolis, which Xerxes could not destroy (Hdt. 8. 55), or the olives of the Academy which according to Androtion, quoted by the Schol., Archidamus spared, with the olive generally.

703. is used in the Homeric sense of 'to command an army.' 1], 16. 172, dp | The allusion which has been found in this passage to the invasions of Xerxes and Archidamus, is not improbable.

( Meineke conj.), ws Schol. See also the quotation from Istrus in Schol. on 701. The reading of L, sustains the choriambic rhythm; and in the antistrophe is justly suspected. See note on 717.

705. i.e. Zeus regarded as the protector of the popia: or sacred olives in the Academy. Cp. Ar. Nub. 1005. Apollodorus, quoted by the Schol., Says, | avai THs

voz, 'I have yet another mighty praise for this city that hath reared me, the gift of that great deity, to tell, her great pride, that she is renowned for the fairest steeds, the fairest colts, and for a glorious sea,' is added epexegetically in construction with The adjectives, etc., agree with which is to be supplied as the object of if indeed some word equivalent to this has not been lost. Porson, to complete the metre, supplied before But perhaps the line may have stood, K.7.A, ='the state our mother.' Cp. 1480, The word probably refers to Athens, as presiding over the smaller townships. But in infr. 715, the neighbourhood of Colonus is meant.

"14. The dative depends immediately on and is to be resumed with ' Having framed for horses the bit, which tames their rage.' Cp. Pind. 13. 85,

1 'In the roads about Colonus.' The note of the Schol. here is curious: &s Rom. ed.).

716-19. These lines expand the epithet 'And the well-plied oar, passing through the sea, flits wondrously by the hand of man, and darts onward, following in the track of innumerable Nereids" may be taken either as an attribute of or with the participle.

has been taken to mean 'fitted to the hand.' But this is prosaic, and interferes with the figure by which the oar is put for the ship. Asin O.T. 17, may be a syncopated form of But the metre is doubtful, cp. supr. 7o4. have been conjectured.

718. As in pavos, is used vaguely to give the impression of multitude. The first part of the epithet is most important, as in etc., the second part being chiefly pictorial. An allusion to the number 50 would be an awkward conceit; and the bare mention of an exact number, such as 100, would have no poetic force.

721 ff. Ismene is not yet retumed. The dreaded Creon is seen advancing instead. The boast of a 'strong dwellingplace, and of the 'unconquered olivetree,' will now be put to proof.

sc. Cp. Phil. 1165, | The conjecture in both places is unnecessary. emphasizes the whole sentence: cp. Ant. 726, of | x.7.A. The reading may have arisen from the difficulty of coi, and the unusual position of

Causative, as in Phil. 297, 'Cause these words to shine,' i. 6. manifest their truth in action: -- Cp. Tr. 239, eveTaia Pind. Nem. to. 11; Hdt. 3. 26,

723. the dative of remote reference, has greater liveliness than which has been conjectured here. * Here is Creon coming to trouble us.'

726. 'Fear not: you shall have your wish.' The same words occur above (305) in a different connection. Elms. prefers to

728-1043. Creon advances with his two attendants, and deprecating suspicion, attempts to persuade Oedipus to come home to Thebes, for his own and daughters' sake, according to the unanimous wish of the people. Ocedipus, who is informed by Ismene, and by the oracles he had formerly received, of the real intention of the Thebans, indignantly resents the cruel meaning of the fair-sounding offer; taunts Creon with hypocrisy, in first banishing him against his will, and now trying to draw him unwillingly from Athens: and utters a curse on Creon and on his sons. The altercation continues till Creon throws off the mask of gentleness, avows that he has seized Ismene, and threatens to carry off Antigone. The chorus (834 ff.) expostulate, and call for aid. He per- sists, and sends her away byhis servants, adding reproaches against Oedipus, and, on the chorus further expostulating, threatens to lay hands on Oedipus, who thus provoked, utters a special curse on Creon. A scuffle ensues between the two old men: Creon taking hold of Oedipus to drag him away. The chorus (877 ff.) again cry aloud for help, and Theseus, who has been sacrificing at a neighbouring altar, enters in haste. On learning what is the matter, he orders the people from the sacrifices to pursue the fugitives, and threatens Creon with arrest if the.maidens are not produced immediately. He is sure that Thebes will not resent this. She cannot countenance such violence. Creon then speaks for himself. He could not have supposed that Athens would have cared to protect his kindred, or would have received an incestuous person anda parricide under the shadow ofthe hillof Ares. He furtherexcuses his assault by the curses of Oedipus. He is in Theseus' hands, but will resist harsh treatment. The mention of hisunwitting crimes calls forth a fresh outburst of passion from Oedipus. Theseus breaks off further conference by peremptorily commanding Creon to show him where the maidens are. Oedipus is left alone with the chorus. Cp. O. T. 512-862. 729. "1 see that a sudden fear has overcast your eyes at my coming in.' is a genitive of place, or of the part affected. For cp. Aj. 345, Eur. Suppl. | Plat. Soph. 2432, And for the whole expression, Aesch. Eum. 407, Eur. J. A. 1128, Ar. Vesp. 447.

732. Creon endeavours to allay the alarm occasioned by his coming, and to win confidence by dwelling (1) on his own age and apparent feebleness, (2) on the age and condition of Oedipus, which needed protection at home, (3) on his intention to use persuasion only. (4) on the public authority and responsibility of his mission, (5) on his personal and private motives for undertaking it.

conjecture is also capable of a suitable meaning. Creon, wishing to show the reasonableness of his coming, points to the extreme age and feebleness of Oedipus as a ground for inducing him to return under the protection of Thebes. There is a peculiar emphasis on the worcs and i. e. 'To induce this poor old man by persuasion only to return home.' For the combination of the demonstrative with the pronominal adj., cp. Phil. 128, ib. 572 ;

738. wor 'Since kindred makes it incumbent on me.' For the simple for the compound verb, see Essay on L p.iot, 4, and cp, Phil. 141, And fora similar use of cp. Hdt. 8. 100,

746. prds| 'With the support of one attendant.' as it were 'leaning on.' The expression is analogous to Hdt. 7. 188,

751. 'At her age,' 1. 6. just approaching womanhood. Cp. supr. 345, 6, véas | For the termination, cp. El. 614.

753 ff. 'Alas, I have uttered a sad reproach upon thee and me and our whole race. And yet, what is openly displayed cannot be concealed: wherefore do you, Oedipus, be induced by me to return voluntarily to thy city and palace and to hide thy disgrace there.' For dpa, see E. on L. § 29. p. 50. Creon professes to be horror-struck at his own words (dp x.7.A.): but excuses himself by the publicity which Oedipus gives to their common calamity in wandering from home. It rests with him to bury the reproach within the palace walls, where his daughter at least will find protection, and his kindred will not have the shame of seeing him an outcast. Cp.O.T. 1425, foll. .. | 624, 5, viv, |

"61, 2. .. 'Who out of every cause wouldst bring some subtle fabrication of a just plea.' Cp. infr. 806, 7, off | The present participle, as in Phil. 1052, is used to express a quality without reference to time (E. on L. § 32. p. 55), and is combined with dv, so that dv

763. is cognate or adverbial accusative. Herm. reads pe. But for the slight emphasis on the pronoun, see Essay on L. § 41. p. 78

"64. 'In a matter, in which I should be most vexed if J were caught.' ois. 'In that particular in which,' 1. e. in his relation to whole people, i.e not only the authorities of the city (Theseus), but the inhabitants with one consent. Cp. Aj. 861, KAevai The words in both places are intended to move the Athenian audience.

775. appears not only in B Vat., followed by Triclinius, but also in L?, The parallel of Thuc. 3. 12, ris ia the frequent use cf without a definite antecedent in introducing an illustration, the doubtful correlation of (cp., however, El. 532, éyw), and the fact that the reading is not confined to one family of MSS, lead to the conclusion that the reading of LAV', like for supr. 320, is a clerical error.

1. 960, esp. in 1. 992, Oedipus uses the 'argumentum ad hominem' in the debate with Creon. 'And yet what kindness is there in befriending men against their will? Suppose, for instance, when you were eager to obtain some boon, one were to refuse and grant you nothing, and not choose to gratify you, but when your soul was already satisfied, were then to make the offer, when the kindness was no longer kind! Would not that be an empty satisfaction for you to obtain? Yet such is the favour you now offer me.'

785, 6. " And your city may come off unharmed from her encounter with the land of these men.' For 'to come out of a contest,'cp Ar. Plut. 271, 2, | : and for personified, cp. infr.g12, Ant. 187. The natural pause after dvaros prevents ambiguity in Others read with the meaning, 'may get out of this land,' which is less forcible.

787 ff. Join (1) 'My evil genius ever lurking in the region of that land.' The genitive is not strictly partitive. For a similar instance where the genitive and locative adverb are co-extensive, cp. Phil. 899, Or (2), 'My vengeful spirit ravaging the land.' But this twofold relation of makes a harsh expression, and the pause before requires that the sense should run on to the word immediately following it. For the general meaning, cp. Aesch. Suppl. 413-5, | |

790. 'They shall inherit their father's land, only by dying there" The comparison of Aesch. 5. e.D., 730; | x i is just, but the thought is not identical, for is in apposition to and not merely epexegetic of = The words therefore do not refer to the 'six feet of earth,' but to the fact that the only part of their inheritance the

794, 5. 'But you are come hither with a feigned tongue full of sharpness.' For cp. Aj. 188, And for the play of words in .. see Essay on L. 44. p. 82.

refers not to the whole tenor of the speech but to the 'But I know that to this warning you will not attend - enough then, begone !'

800, 1. 'Do you think that the course of our present talk is disastrous for me in my relation to your affairs?' (referring to 787 ff, 795, 6). 'Are not your words much more disastrous to yourself?' Schol. i.e. You accuse me of ignorance of your and your sons' destiny (1. 787, 8): but you show much greater ignorance of your own best interests by refusing to come.

802. pyre The emphasis is on is taken for granted, and only introduced for the sake of the antithesis. 'It would delight me, if you fail in persuading these men here as you will fail to persuade me.' (1) 'My words are certainly not seasonable in the judgment of one who has so little sense as you have;' 1. 6. 'A wise speech sleeps in a foolish ear,' Schol. yey. For the dative, see Essay on L. § 13. p. 20, 6. Or (2), 'I do not speak seasonably, in speaking to one so devoid of understanding.' Cp. Aesch. Prom. 983, yap For cp. O. T. 1187.

the notion of dictation being implied in : (2) ' Keep watching me and blockading my destined dwelling-place.' For (1) cp. El. ; supr. 654, But (2) is more pointed, and on the whole more probab'e. 813. 'To them I appeal and not to you! And for the terms of your answer to your friends, if I once take you - - - .' 'The intended threat ('you shall answer at Thebes') is broken off by Oedipus' retorting, 'But who can take me,' etc. Creon angrily repels the claim of Oedipus to speak for the Attic elders .. whom he calls to witness Oedipus' treatment of him. The latter words refer (1) to the lines in which Oedipus curses his sons which Creon treats as the answer to the message which he had brought from the : cp. infr. 850, The structure closely resembles Hom. Il. 338, | | | | where the final threat is in like manner suppressed. In the present passage, however, is strictly adversative, distinguishing Creon's personal injury from the supposed offence against Eteocles and the Thebans: unless (2) refers to Creon himself, as professing friendly intentions and as next of kin. But cp. supr. 788-go.

816. 'Without this,' i.e, without my taking you. The ambiguity of would probably not be felt by a Greek, and is not a sufficient reason for altering the reading to

817. Creon's tone implied that something had been done. Seeing that the chorus. as well as Oedipus are impracticable, he breaks into open hostility, and avows the capture of Ismene, who had been seized and carried off before she could return from making her offering.

820. (1) 'To exclaim at this; the capture of the maidens; or (2), cogn. acc., 'thus to exclaim.' Probably the first.

Aesch. Suppl. 387-9, | res | ;

835, 6. The excitement, indicated by the broken lines, culminates in the dochmiac rhythm, to which the diiambus, is introductory. 876-85, following the second attempt of Creon, are antistrophic to 83 3-43» agreeing very closely (except «ipyou - 4 in 826 =

+ 879) even to the division of the 3 This lyrical repetition, with the balanced rhythm of the intervening dialogue (containing one short outburst of Creon, 841-55, and one of Oedipus, 864-70), may be compared with O. T. 649-59, 678-88.

838. Oedipus rather alludes to his prophecy in 605 ff., that war would come between Athens and Thebes, than to his warning in 653, which is already fulfilled. Creon's present threat yap) comes near to Oedipus' prediction.

842. évaiperat] 'My city suffers violence. The chorus in their indignation, as Theseus afterwards in his scorn (903, .. Bia) represent the attempt of Creon as an assault on the liberties of their city.

'By main force' Cp. infra 1089, The expression here is more nearly equivalent to than to Bie. Cp. Eur. Bacch. 953, ov | yuvaixas, The adverbial dative following the parenthesis is rather weak. Qy. Cp. Aesch. 5. c. 247,

[LOL ; 3 " ; 3 2 ? 2 ~ > 4m THY Kal 850 X ' » d Epdw, Kal .

844. The last appeal of Antigone to the chorus is so worded as to recall her former supplication, 1. 237.

848, TrovTow..oknmreow]| ' With these to lean upon." ='by means of,' 'with the help of' Cp. Phil. 91, |

851. 'Although Tama prince.' For rupavvos= 'one of royal blood,' cp. Eur. Med. 957, Tv- Creon is moreover regent of Thebes; O. T. 1418.

856. Creon, after launching the above speech at Oedipus, turns to follow Antigone and the attendants who are dragging her off, The chorus interfere to prevent him.

858, 9. These lines may be differently explained according as is taken to refer to Thebes or to Athens. Hither reference is possible, but in Creon's previous speech, supr. 837, is clearly Thebes. is that which is held by one party, and claimed or seized by another, who is said (Aesch. Suppl. 412, pu- ib. 314, (1) 'Then assuredly you will quickly pay moreover a heavier forfeit to my state, for I will seize not the maidens only.' For this meaning of see L. and 5. s.v. A. TI, 8. Or (2), 'Then assuredly you will cause your city to have a still greater prey to redeem.' For in (2), cp. Eur. Suppl. 120, (Adrastus speaks of Thebes, which is not his a >" ~ 3 ~ la ) *rHs 865 3 > , = se a dup "OM ® 3 » Tore, 870

'Know that this shall certainly be done forthwith For the ellipse with es, cp. Aj. 39, The reduplicated future has not here the force of a future-perfect, but is simply emphatic.

864. gives the reason of an implied negative, repelling Creon's injunction of silence. 'Nay, but I will not. For 1 would not have these goddesses close my lips to this one curse.'

866. ds The omission of the antecedent rather adds to the passionate force of the expression. Cp. supra 263, and see

866, 7. . Bia] ' Who hast added to the former loss of my eyes by violently tearing away the poor defenceless means of sight that were still left tome. The are his danghters, Antigone épwons, supra 33, 4) and Ismene, who brought him intelligence of things in Thebes. For the expression, cp. Shak., King Lear, 4. 6, 'Lear. Read. Gloster. What, with the case of eyes?' Big is to be joined with the phrase

868. A.] Cp. Phil. 620, Kei The change to 7 is unnecessary here. The case is different in 1417, where is a tmesis for

(860), although, since the attendants are gone with the maidens, he has no one to help him. As to the reading, ynpwyv .. either has originated in a gloss on and as elsewhere, from a misreading of or there was an early various reading, for which, cp. O. T. 17. On the order of the words, see Hssay on L. 41. p. 78 6.

879. Tavd'.. 'Then I will no longer account this a city.' The Scholiast, who explains by seems to have read the future, which is therefore substituted for Cp. El. 150,

880. rots (1) 'In a just cause. Essay on L. § 11. p. 18. Or perhaps (2) the dat. is instrumental ; - 'With weapons of justice.'

882. *y' There is a lacuna of an iambic penthemimer, or, if the correction is right, of an iambic metre. The sense required is, XO. pot KP,

Elmsley's emendation has been generally adopted, and has the advantage of closely resembling 843, mpoBad' But the correction is uncertain. (1) 'Since they are passing all bounds.' Cp. supra 155. Hermann's rule, that can never be used metaphorically, appears arbitrary, and when they have just left the stage it is too soon to say, (2) ' They are passing the frontier.' But possibly the words may mean, (3) 'They are passing out of reach.' Cp. infr. 902, ws ai and the hyperbolical expression in 842,

887. Theseus, perhaps moved by the strange advent of Oedipus. is sacrificing at the neighbouring altar of Poseidon, the chief guardian deity of Colonus. This act, which is natural in itself, is convenient, as the Scholiast remarks, for assigning a sufficient reason why Theseus, whose presence will be again necessary, should, when off the stage, be still within call. The sacrifice also occasions a gathering of people, who are ready to start in pursuit of Creon and frustrate his attempt.

The trochaics are expressive of the haste with which Theseus comes - @aooov (8go). They are conventionally associated with the sudden arrival on the stage or departure from it

894, 5. 'Has torn away from me the two children that were my all? .. cp. supra 866, El. 809, 10, dwoomdoas yap THs ppevds, The use of is pathetic. Cp. supra 860.

897, ff. The readiness of Theseus in comprehending the situation, and his promptitude, are traits which assist the action while they excite the admiration of the spectators. Cp. supra 469, 631.

899. Cp. Ant. L10y, AndvTes, If, as suggested by the writer of the ist (see Introd. p. 259), Colonus was a place where horses stood for hire, the presence of horsemen at the sacrifice is easily accounted for.

: Pollux 1. 214, and the passages in Diodorus Sic. (1g. 26), and Dion. Hal. (11. 40), leave no doubt that in this expression is not a trace but a rein, and that the use of isemphatic. puTjpos, of a horse, would then mean, 'to gallop away from' (i.e. without check from, without the effect of) the rein,' and in the notion is transferred from the horse to the rider = 'to ride at full gallop.' The phrase is immediately connected with but the notion of 'full speed' is extended to the whole sentence. It is singular that the ancient Scholiasts should have lost the key to this expression as they seem to have done. If purnp were 'a trace' as elsewhere (Il. 16. 475 etc.), the meaning would be 'without putting to,' i.e. riding, not driving.

goo, I. 650] just where the two hollow ways of travellers meet.' belongs in meaning to the antecedent clause, like the superlative in suggests the appearance of the roads in hill-country, each opening out of a narrow gorge of its own. Cp. Hom. h. Dem. 177, Anu

As rivers are said fods, or as persons are said Hom. 1]. 14, 27, etc. For the absolute use (on which see Essay on L. 53. p. 98, ¢), cp. Eur. Or. 335, Plat. Pol. 273 A, The 'two roads' appear from 1047 to be those from Daphne and Phyle.

902, 3. Bia] 'And I be vanquished and become a laughingstock to this foreigner;' i.e. to Creon, The dative, though governed chiefly by .. also depends slightly on Bia: cp. Plut. Dion. p. 199. Theseus angrily speaks of the success of Creon's exploit as a conquest over himself (supra 842, note). Cp. Ant. 485, ib. 525,

905 ff. Cp. Eur. Suppl. 581 ff. (the whole speech reads like an echo of this), | |

907. .. The MS. reading x.7.A has been explained, ' As he himself came hither under the protection of the laws, so he shall be corrected by the laws,' (and not by violence), This makes a strong antithesis to AR. os. from which is read in the Scholia of L. 906. aoe .. C2*. 907. MSS. Reisk. corr. glo. L.

Il. go4 - 6. But is without point, and the reference to 'the laws' without further qualification is un-Greek. Cp. Eur. Heracl. mots. Either the correction must be adopted, as in the text, or there is a slight inexactness of correspondence between the clauses. ('Etenim non ow referendum est ad sed intelligendum Herm. 1841. ' Rectius Reisigius, idem esse quod rots quod minus infrequens est cum compositum.' Ellendt.). In any case the meaning is: (instead of being roughly handled) 'he shall be reduced to order according to those very rules of conduct which he brought with him in coming hither, i.e. 'As he has taken by compulsion so by compulsion he shall be checked in return. Cp. infr. 916, supr. 832. For the meaning of see Essay on L. p. 88. And for the combination of the article and relative pronoun, cp. Ant. 404, ov véxpoy | dmetnas: Aesch. S.c. T. 553, dv has the force of a possessive pronoun: 'those principles of his.'

908. ' And thesealone.' follows the construction of Tov- without or any other substantive being consciously supplied.

Etws| 'Since what thou hast done is unworthy alike of me and thine own lineage, and thy land.' The conjecture ood takes away the point from in]. 912. Cp. infra 914, 915, 926.

917. " Spiritless.? Asch. Pers. 118, 121, uses xévavépos and of the city whose fighting men are slain. -Cp. infra 939, in the reply of Creon.

923. 'Poor suppliant mortals.' The periphrasis (for which see Essay on 1,. 10. p. 17) adds pathetic emphasis to both parts of the expression.

924. 'And I would not.' marks the accordance of what Theseus lays down as the rule of his own conduct with the claim he makes on Thebes. Cp. your.

930, I. 'And length of years gives folly to be the companion of thine age.' Lit. 'In making thee old makes thee at the same time void of wisdom.' Cp. Ant. 281, kal

933. .. 'That the maidens be brought hither.' The impersonal form of expression is here more dignified than if ce were repeated.

934. The Schol. observes that this word is used in the general sense of and not in its ordinary special meaning. See Essay on L. 52. P- 97. § 54. P- 99.

928. LA. 934. Vat. 929. 14}, L. 1.3, B Vat.

are shown to be just, and are then found to be doing evil.' The chorus point the moral of Theseus' speech. Cp. supr. QIQ, 912 ff.

Some have tried to preserve the reading of L by joining (940) with (941), but the epithet does not agree with the tenor of Theseus' speech. Cp. Eur. Suppl. 314-23.

942, 3. .. Bia] 'They would never be seized with an officious desire of maintaining my relations against my will.' sc. Tovs 'AOnvaious, implied in supr. For the accusative see Essay on.L. 16. p- 23, and cp. O. T. 713, ws

945, 6. ' Nor one who was discovered to be living in incest with his own parent.' Lit.' With whom werefound unholy marriages of children with parents.' Té«- is not genitive of the object, but attributive genitive (Essay on L. § 9. p. 12), sufficiently defining the although -yovéas might be a more complete expression.

947. 'Such a seat of good counsel did I know them to possess, the hill of Ares in this land.' opposed to supra 940. For the argumentative use of see Essay on L. 22. p. 35.

44. 6, TO 'For anger yields not to age, until death comes.' - ' No pain indeed can touch the dead.' Aesch. Fr. 250, * After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well; Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing, Can touch him further.' Shak. Macb. 3. 2.

here is not a mere repetition of the notion of the verb supra 956, but is spoken with some emphasis, in allusion to Theseus' threats of compulsion, supr. 908, 935.

960, I. Oedipus means that Creon's language reflects disgrace upon himself as the brother of Jocasta, and as having made an outcast of his kinsman. Cp. supr. 770, 800, 1, vopiCes .. 753, 4, Gp' 5os.. infr. 978 ff. And for Pind. Pyth. 3. 25, Kopwvidos.

962. dors por] 'Who hast allowed to pass thy lips against me the mention of that murder and that disastrous marriage which I unfortunate endured unwittingly.'

The general word (here, as in O. T. 99, equivalent to dyos) sums up the preceding notions, and adds to them. Cp. O. T. 1407, 8, | ai-

965. 'Who would seem to have had some old cause of wrath against our race. Cp. Plat. Phaedr. 244 D,

Oedipus in his voluntary actions is a chief point in the tragic interest of the Oedipus Tyrannus, and is still more strongly asserted in this play.

@ore| 'That he should die by his son's hand; i.e. an oracle, whose fulfilment lay in his being slain by his son. Cp. 1350, yous, and see note on O. T. 713.

974-6. 'And if, coming into the world as I came, marked by misfortune, I fought with and slew my father, all ignorant of what I was doing and to whom, how then can you in fairness blame me for whatI did, seeing it was

977. *8dv, (= cp. El, 314), isa correction of dv, in which the reduplication of the particles makes doubtful. For a similar error in the MSS. ep. supr. 51,

eis (1) 'To this height of impiety in speaking.' Cp. supra 132, Tas This is better than (2)

988. (your charge is groundless), for, ete,' So in Tr. 552, | : ,595. Essay on L. § 25. p

998. 'And I do not think that my father's spirit, were he alive, would gainsay my words.' The antecedent to ots is the argument from 989- 7996.

1000. ' You, however, for you only profess to be just, and think any. word decorous, whether fit to be spoken or not, you pour these reproaches upon me in the presence of these men.' Cp. supra 992, and Creon's reasons 'This land is foremost in that virtue.' For the genitive in the reading of L, cp. El. 1095-7, | But the reading of A is in this case ~ clearer and more harmonious.

1014, 15. is in each case slightly adversative. 'The stranger, my lord, is honest: his calamities, indeed, are horrible, but they deserve our help.' The mind of the chorus is divided between horror and pity. Cp. O. T. 1296, Kal The subdued tone of this speech, compared with 1044-95, affords a good instance of the different functions of the chorus in the dialogue and in the lyric " passages.

1016. ot Schol. Kpéovros. This interpretation, (1) implies that is perfect middle. See Veitch, Irr. Verbs, s. v. The force of the middle voice would be, ¢ Having effected their purpose of capture" (2) 'The captured ones,' 1. 6. they and their attendants, 'are speeding away. The masculine form is used because the captors are included in the expression, See Essay on L. 20.

p. 30, and cp. supr. 902, ai infr. 1057-60, and notes. An early corrector of L, without erasing the termination has changed it to making the accusative to be governed by as a causative verb. This is the reading also of Vat. and Par. B. 1018. ;)] (1) ' What then are your commands for one who is powerless to resist them?' This meaning of is sufficiently supported by Eur. Andr. 204, Kod For used by the speaker of himself, cp. infr. 1109, Creon continues his pretence of helplessness: supr. 956-8. The excessive meekness of this expression may be thought hardly consistent with ll. 958, 9, 1037, and the words may be construed as an expression of contempt for Oedipus, (2) 'What then is your bidding on behalf of this wretched nobody?' But the first interpretation (1) is probably right. IO1Q. Tis 1. 6. lead the way yonder" Hdt. 7. 147, | 'That I, however, accompany you. The infinitive depends on the notion 'My will is,' implied in the preceding words. in

1021, Tas The genitive has something of a privative force. 'You have the maidens whom you have taken from us. Cp. supr. 821, pov; O. T. 1522, pov. Theseus throughout represents himself as aggrieved by Creon's act. is an ingenious but unnecessary conjecture. The word would be superfluous after supr. 101g.

1022-4. (1) 'But if menare fleeing with them in their power, we may spare our pains, for there are others urging that pursuit (supr. 897 ff.), whom to have escaped out of this land they shall never glory before the gods.' The reading of most MSS, or is not defensible. For the variation of x and é, cp. O. T.

297, Par. B. has For the mode of expression, cp. Plat. Soph. 235 C, .. : Legg. 10. 905 A, Otherwise, (2) 'As having escaped from whom they shall never glory over the gods of this land.' But although Theseus speaks hyperbolically of the success of Creon in capturing the maidens as a conquest over himself, he cannot speak of the Thebans as glorying over the defeat of Poseidon, Athena, the Eumenides, Dionysus (!), etc. who are not gods of Colonus and Athens only, but universally reverenced contains at once the notion of glorying and of thanksgiving. Cp. the exulting language of Ajax im his imagined victory to Athene, Aj. 92-96, ws wapéoTns THs dypas

1026-7. 'In catching, you are caught; and fortune has taken you as you were pursuing after your prey.' The substitution of for 15 unnecessary and wrong. Fortune is continually regarded as the instrument of the Divine will. Cp. Phil. 1317, rds | Shak. Hamlet, Act 3, sc. 4, 'Take thy fortune; Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.'

1028-31. " And you shall have no one to help you in this; for I well know that you were not unaided or unprepared, when you reached the height of insolence whichis implied. in this daring deed; but there were others to whom you trusted when you acted thus.'

1032, 3. 'Which things I must look into, and not allow this state to be overpowered 'by a single man.' Cp. supra 842, 879, 933, and the similar feeling in Ant. 663, 4, doris.. Tots 678, 'These lines may be taken to hint at a suspicion of treachery within the city, to which may also point. Cp. O. T. 124, 5, | oer és ; and note; also Ant. 689--04, and esp. Lys. c. Eratosth. p. 128,

1029. For the gen., see Essay on L. Io. p. 17. Cp. Creon's assertion, supra 957, rei | Theseus will not allow Creon to take any one with him, either of his own attendants, whe may be lurking near, or of the Athenians, whom he may have corrupted. refers rather to the former suspicion, (i.e. oxeuns) to the latter. Cp. Thuc. 2. 12, TH

on some one.' For active, cp. Aesch. Prom. 917, Tots mois Thuc. 3. 40, : Plat. Legg. 824,

1024, 5. 'Or are the considerations that Iam urging as unmeaning to you now as they were when you devised this plet?' The sentence is concluded as if the preceding words had been

1038. ' Well, threaten as you please, but go on.' vuy qualifies the whole sentence, of which the participle is the emphatic word, and is used, as often elsewhere, with the imperative, e.g. supra 21, For the emphatic participle, cp. Phil. 590, E. N. 'I will make you responsible for this." 'Do as you please in making me responsible, if you will only speak.'

1039. 'Under my assurance. As the middle means to give mutual pledges, is here used passively = 'having received a pledge,' i. e. being assured.

1044, [011. While Oedipus remains alone upon the rock, an object of profound pity, the chorus burst into an exulting strain, anticipating the victory of Theseus and the restoration of Antigone and Ismene.

'The fray will soon begin. Would I were there to see! Where will the foemen turn to bay? At the pass of Mount Aegaleon, or by the Eleusinian shore? 'There will Theseus rouse the combat, and the maidens shall be present at the achievement of their deliverance. Or descend they now from Phyle, westward of the rock, the chariots with the pursuing cavalry? The enemy shall be overpowered. Mighty are the men of Theseus: valiant are the horsemen of our deme. They all are wor-

1, 2, 3, Glyconic with monosyllabic base, 5, 12, Pherecratean, 14, Adoniad, 6, 11, logaoedic, 4, 7, iambic dimeter with long syllables in the alternate feet, 8, 9, 13, trochaic, with long syllables in the alternate feet. The interweaving of the logaoedic with the iambic and trochaic rhythms is marked by the interposition of the iambics in 4 between the glyconic and Pherecratean, and the trochees in 13 between the Pherecratean and Adoniad. The 'epitritic' move- shippers of Athene Hippia and of Poseidon. Are they engaged? or is the action still to be? My prophetic spirit pleads for the restitution of the muchenduring, much-wronged, maiden. O had my vision wings, that, lifted on some airy cloud, I might look upon the victory which I foretell!

'Zeus, grant our people the attainment of the fair prize: and Pallas, his dread child, and ye, Apollo and Artemis, who love the chase, come jointly to our country's aid.'

The metre of this chorus, at first glyconic, passes more and more into slow trochaic and iambic movements, with frequent long syllables. The whole is marked by great solemnity, with an occasional note of triumph.

in 1124. But this does not remove the difficulty of finding a probable emendation of 1069, which may secure a tolerable correspondence between strophe and antistrophe. See note on 1069.

The slow (epitritic) movement with frequent long syllables is continued in the second strophe and antistrophe, and only in lines 5 and 8 is quickened by the introduction of the dactyl. The opening syllables of 1 and 2 may have been exceptionally prolonged. Line 3 is probably to be scanned as an iambic dimeter with syncope of 3rd and 4th thesis. Syncope of thesis occurs also in ll. 5 and 10. Cp. O. T. 190, 193, 200, Christ's Metrik. § 393.

1044. 'Might I be where soon the foemen shall wheel round and begin the fray with clanging arms. The imagination of the chorus is excited by what Theseus has said, supr. 1022, 1029 ff.

1046. "Apy | Like with the additional notion of a confused hurtling contest. I]. 20. 374,

1048, 9. 'Hither by the cliffs of Pythium or those torch-lit cliffs...' i.e. the shores of the Thriasian plain. seems to be a general expression for the seaward cliffs, including those not actually touching the sea. But the word is chosen to suit the mention of Eleusis. The question is whether the engagement will be in the pass of Daphne, or at some further point on the Eleusinian way. Cp the skirmish at in Thuc. 2.

19. The 'Pythian cliffs' are so named from the Pythium, a shrine of Apollo in the deme of Oenoe, probably at the place now called Daphne. According to some authorities the Pythium was on the Megarian frontier. But the place so designated could not be on the way to Thebes. Philochorus, quoted by the Scholiast, says, Oivéy.. For the adjective cp. infra 1060, The Schol. quotes a line of Aeschylus describing the Eleusinian procession, Fr. 376,

IOKO - 2. Ktpodmdav] (1) 'Where dread mysteries are dispensed to mortals by reverend- goddesses, whose golden (i.e. sacred, cp. O. T. 158, 187) key holds fast the tongue of their attendants of Eumolpus' race.' kat introduces a further description of the goddesses who preside at the mysteries. The initiation of the Eumolpidae is mentioned, as being more solemn than that of the Mystae, inasmuch as they have received their consecration immediately from Demeter and Persephone : - ' quae silentio sacro suorum ora ministrorum.' Reisig. Hermann objects that the duty of silence was imposed on all initiated persons He refers to and would render (2), 'On whose tongue hath passed the sacred key of the ministering Eumolpidae.' And the Scholiast gives the same explanation: in this case may be supposed to emphasise the necessity of initiation as a condition of seeing the mysteries, or to distinguish the act of the priests from that of the deities. In favour of the first rendering (1), it may be urged that it makes more intelligible, gives more force to and suits better with the position of the words xpucéa

' Minister sacred rites to men,' as a nurse ministers to an infant. is a sort of cognate accusative, i. 6.

1054-7. 'Where (i. somewhere on the sacred way) methinks that Theseus and the two virgin sisters will soon mingle in the fray of battle which is to deliver them:' or, taking in a more general sense, 'in the valorous combat,' 'the rescue that achieves its purpose.'

1054. +éypepaxav| Hom. Hymn to Demeter, 424, 7° "Apres The various reading or may have arisen from a confusion of the letters e, o - p, B - x, 7. This would not be a greater perversion than for O. T. 134, or for ib. 1322. The line does not exactly correspond to that in the antistrophe ; see note on infr, 1067-70.

1.6. vas. 'The word recalls the two bands of Thebans who had carried off Ismene and Antigone and would now resist their rescue. But the second part of the compound is subordinate. Elmsley says, ' dsardAous dixit pro The maidens and their captors are spoken of in a single phrase,

1056. ' virgin,' perhaps with the further association of 'unconquered ;' i.e. exempt from captivity, cp. infr. 1147. The latter part of the sentence is adapted to the nearer subject (E. on L. § 36. p. 65, 2). The first intention was to speak of Theseus and the captors of the maidens as joining battle; then the thought occurs, 'the maidens also will be in the midst of the fray" Hence fuppigew with or an equivalent word in the accusative, is changed to with the dative, and the word for battle is expanded into the phrase Boa, i.e. either " defending them,' or 'sufficient without more ado.' See Essay on L. § 43. p. 81, § 56. p. 102, § 3. p. 7 The latter meaning is probably right. The word is of good omen, like infra. (intrans. cp. is rightly construed with the dative, and is used in the sense of a sudden rally or skirmish, almost - Cp. supra 887, ; where is the summons to such a sudden fight: Aesch. Ag.1349: Suppl. 730, Bon: Od. 22. 77,

1058. This resumption of which in 1054 summed up ll. 1047-53, prepares the way for the fresh alternative, #.7.A,

1059. Or perhaps the scene of the contest is more distant. 'Or haply, leaving the pastures of Oea' (a deme of the Oenean tribe) 'they draw near the region that lies westward of the snowy rock.'

1060. i.e. Where the snow lies longest. Schol. The place meant is probably the precipitous western end of Parnes, overhanging the pass of Phyle, and clearly visible from Athens, ' They will be drawing near.' For with the accusative in this sense, cp. Phil. 1163, Eur. Andr. 1167, éx

1062-4, 'With their horses, or in the nimbly-racing chariots in which they flee" refers to the pursuers, yovres to the pursued, who are supposed to have provided chariots for the capture of the maidens.

1065, 6. GAdoetar.. 'He' (the enemy, just referred to in getyovres) 'will be overpowered. Terrible is the valour of our neighbours: terrible also is the youthful might of Theseus' men.' For the singular number of cp. Ant. 106, : and for its absolute use, cp. Aj. 648, 9, |

1066. The patronymic is used by an anachronism for the youth of Athens, with an allusion to the leadership of Theseus. Cp. Hdt. 1. 125, of Of those who were assembled at the sacrifice of Theseus, some would be attendants of The-

1067-70. .. Although the emendation of these lines is uncertain, their general meaning is clearly a reminiscence of the command of Theseus to the horsemen in 899, goo, puTHpos, Just as the descrip-: tion of the two passes is suggested by his words in goo, 1, . . 6508. Herm. (1841) conj. | : reading in the strophe, and rejecting Aapa as a gloss, Bothe reads, | Cp. Aj. 425, Tr.510(?). The rhythm ~4 UU GUU - Gis not impossible (for the resolved trochee, cp. Phoen. 227, 237); but the change of rhythm from 1. ro of the strophe (1054) cannot be justified by such examples as Phil. 1124-47. When all the difficulties are looked at together, it seems most probable that there is some corruption here or in 1. 1054, ifnotin both.

The words as they stand may be construed, 'The riders all are rushing on, in the direction of,' cp. 'the bridles of the horses ;' i.e. Every horseman gives his steed its head. may or may not be genuine, but Hermann's conjecture

1074. ; Herm. corrected the antistrophe to But theslow movement Ii+ - + , - is characteristic. See

1074-6. por | "Hov my thoughts are pleading!' is generally to plead for another : and the chorus (infr. 1096) say this in the interest of Oedipus. But perhaps conveys the association of ' beforehand,' anticipating the event. The thought of the chorus is like a messenger, who goes before to urge the claim of a sovereign. is cognate accusative. Cp. supr. 965, Tr. 67,

1076. 'That they will quickly restore.' Although Pind. Fr. Thr. 4, . is not a conclusive instance of this use of the existence of such a meaning is not improbable (cp. and JSP: in Pind. I. 6 (7) 10, "Ad pacroy "Apyos and exactly suits this place. The subject, as in

1081-3. Division of lines, pworossupra 1065, is easily supplied. If is read, the words must be construed in the same way: 'That they will soon surrender,' etc. dv is indefensible, and TAaoav ..evpovoay .. " That Creon will yield from the maidens,' or ' That the sufferings of the enduring ones much wronged by their kindred will abate,' is forced, and gives a poor sense.

1077. Tav..tAGoav| i.e. Antigone, whom the chorus had actually seen carried off. She is the heroine of this play as well as of the ee supra 345~51. Eur. L.A 932, : 'ib. 042, Linw. reads suggested by Dindorf in 1842.

1080, (1) "1 am a prophet on the side of the good contest.' i.e. My prophetic power takes part with the good cause. Cp. O. T. 879, Or (2) 'I prophesy a good issue of the contest.' Cp. El. 1499, And for ib. 646,

1082-4. (1) ' Would that as a stormswift dove of strong pinion I might from a lofty cloud light on this conflict, voyaging thither with mine eye.'

1084. Lit. Having gone as a spectator with mine eye. as in eis and the like expressions. See esp. Plat. Legg. 12. 951. The construction of is difficult, but not more so than Tr. 914, or Phil. 151, Such expressions as (1.6. sent 2s are not cient to establish a transitive use of In Plat. Legg. 12. 951 C, (sc. is cognate accusative. The peculiar attraction, or metaphor, by which agrees in gender with is in keeping with the lyrical wildness of the whole ode. dupa is probably an accusative of limitation, restricting the imaginary voyage of discovery to the sense of sight; i.e. If I were there but in vision. Cp. Tennyson's In Memoriam, 12, 'Asadove when up she springs... Like herI go, I cannot stay; | I leave this mortal ark behind, | A weight of nerves without a mind, | And leave the cliffs, and haste away, And reach the glow of southern skies, And see the sails at. distance rise. | and back return | To where the body sits, and learn, | That I have been an hour away.'

1087. Sapovxots] ' Protectors of the people ;' i.e. Theseus. Plural for singular. Cp. supra 884, and note: infra 1348, ..

1089. 'To make triumphant their ambush by successfully taking the fair prey.' émvixeos for for the sake of the metre. The dative is to be taken closely, as instrumental, with

381 10 1095 OI.

1094, 5. For the change to the third person, cp. O. T. 159-63, iw, and for 'I long,' O. T. 11, Plat. Legg. 10. 907,

The intense lyrical condensation of this chorus assists the illusion by which the pursuit, and capture, and return, are crowded into a few minutes. Cp. Shakespeare, Henry V. Prologue to Act. 3, 'Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies, In motion of no less celerity Than that of thought.'

1096. The coryphaeus announces in senarli a new incident following the choral ode in Soph. only here: in Aesch. S.c. T. 369 ff., Ag. 258 ff.

1097, 8. Tas . . vas | 'For hereI see the maidens, brought near once more hitherward by an attendant band.' mpoomoAovpévas is well explained by Herm. 'Hoe dicit chorus,

1105. 'To hold in my embrace." Cp. Aesch. Prom. fo1g, This and other expressions, meaning to 'hold in the hand," come to be used more generally for 'to touch, handle, embrace. Cp. El. 1226 (Electra to Orestes), oe ; For the passive form of expression, 1. 6. for see Essay on L. § 21. p. 54.

1108. "To the parent nothing is not dear;' i. 6. Even the children of such a marriage. So Hermann following Reisig. But perhaps this is merely a like 508, 9, tis

is supplementary predicate, -- Herm.). The latter part of the compound is partly - lost, but serves to suggest the notion of firmness in supporting. |

1113. The variety of reading is most easily accounted for by supposing an earlier reading (which Mudge conjectured). The singular is inadmissible, and if is read, the asyndeton, which is too abrupt for this place, has also the effect of separating the dative, from épeicar', which seems to require a dative. 'Press your sides close to mine, supporting me on either hand, engrafted on your father.' This seems better than 'Support both my sides,' although admits of

1114. The effect of the pronoun is pathetic, and the repetition of the article in the other reading, has no sufficient reason. Oedipus is thinking generally of his condition, which, when his daughters were carried off, seemed as forlorn as it had been before Antigone came from Thebes to be his guide. |

1115. 'As briefly as ye may. It may be doubted whether agrées with mp. as supplementary predicate ('make the matter brief in telling it'), or is to be taken as a cognate or adverbial accusative after The latter is more probable. .

Some join Aumapés with (cp. Tr. 1211, Thuc. 2. 22, xXadenaivoyras). But the expression, even with the epexegesis following, seems too abrupt for Sophocles. Badham's conjecture, | (cp. the reading of Par. A. and infra 1141), besides changing poetry to prose, leaves without a correlative.

is Musgrave's conjecture for which Elmsley and others have defended. But onv has probably been invented to supply the omission of after for which see Essay on L. § 39. p. 73, Cp. infra 1250, and note. which must have a strong emphasis, would be awkwardly placed, and, as Hermann remarks, 1. 1123, would be superfluous. For cp. O. T. 1477,

1124. 'According to my wish. Cp. Hom. H. Cer. 137, | ws Eur. Hel. 1405, ..

1125. Theseus' interests are throughout identified with those of Athens. Cp. supr. 308, 9, .. Tis them clearer to the spectator than they are to the reader. Oedipus reaches forth his hand towards Theseus, then draws it back, and on becoming aware that Theseus is bending towards him, repels him gently with a movement of his hand.

This expression occurs frequently in tragedy, rarely or never. Cp. esp. Phil. 661, It has been objected that katrou makes too strong an opposition, after such an expression of doubt. But the hesitation expressed in is only the courtesy of a stranger addressing a sovereign, whereas the following clause expresses the revulsion of feeling caused by the recollection of his misfortunes.

1132. w&s (1) 'Unhappy that I am, how should I desire thee to give thy hand to one, in whom what brand of evil is not found?' Or, possibly, (2) reading dv, as in the MSS, ' And how should I think of touching one who is a man, I, the ill-starred wretch, who bear in me the stain of every ill?'

Hermann's correction, ris for rts, is borne out by which would be too emphatic if the meaning were 'a man, who has no stain upon him,' as well as by the order of words in which the inversion 71s would have no _ point. Essay on L. 41. p. 78 y 5; cp. supr. 702. Herm. also changed to and in this he has been generally followed. But the words as they stand in the MSS. are not altogether impossible. The previous context, and the natural pause after dvépdés, may justify the reference of @ to the subject of

In this case although implying Theseus, is quite general: cp. O. T. 1375-0, making a fresh beginning after seems not unnatural, but is as likely to have been wrongly inserted as to be a corruption of Cp. supr. 52.

Sc. For this ellipse, cp. El. 622, Supr. 407, Essay on L. § 59. 73,6. The word in the following line implies the antithesis cot. The words in O. T. 1414-15, imply the same feeling, although in a different connexion: yap | : cp. ib. 1430, 1, | In infr. 1632, where Oedipus bids Theseus to give the maidens the pledge of his right hand, he does not himself take the hand of Theseus. Cp. Hom. Od. 19. 346-8, where Ulysses refuses the services of the handmaids of Penelope, Tes yphus | | The feeling of Fr. 814. is slightly different, resembling that of Leonato in Shak., Much Ado, 5. 1, 'Nor let no comforter delight mine ear | But such an one whose wrongs do suit with mine.' |

1139. Essay on L. § 40. p. 75. The slight formality of this expression and of Savpacas belongs to the dignified courtesy of Theseus' manner. 'It has not moved my wonder, that in the delight of having your children here you have been led to prolong your talk with them.' For this use of cp. O. T. 134, | : Ant. 1851,

1141. ' Nor that in choosing to converse with them you thought not first of me.' The genitive to be supplied with is not but something more general, e. g. Elms. reads perhaps rightly.

1142. yap, as in 1121, refers to the general meaning of the preceding sentence. 'There is no need of an apology, for that gives me no offence.'

1148. This is not the place for an episode like the description of the Isthmian races in El. 680, foll., or the history of Oedipus in O. T. 777, foll. The end is near, and the interview with Polynices is yet to come. The necessary omission is accounted for by the tender age of Antigone (1116-18), and the magnanimity of Theseus, who prefers doing to speaking of his deeds. Cp. El. 1364 ff., Shak, Coriolanus, 1. 9, ' Pray now, no more: my mother, | Who has a charter to extol her blood, | When she does praise me, grieves me. .

1150, 1. 'But impart to us your counsel on a matter that has just now fallen in my way as I was coming hither" The construction of the antecedent Adyos is left undetermined, and this imperfect or pendent construction is smoothed over by the attraction, for which see Essay on L. § 35. p. 59, and cp. Eur. Or. 591 ff. ds

1151. In Hadt. 8. 61, and Plat. Polit. 298 C, the phrase means 'to take part in conference.' So Theseus may be supposed courteously to ask Oedipus for his opinion, although he might use authority. See below, ll. 1178, 1348. Otherwise (2), sc. May mean, ' Bring your thought to bear on this matter,' i.e. consider it. Cp. the Epic évi This is more consistent with the position of Oedipus, of which, however, Theseus is not yet thoroughly informed.

1153. The Scholiast, who interprets Sei, must have read as in the text. is too general a word to stand alone, as it must if we read For cp. O. T. 977,

1156, 7. This must have been gathered from the terms of his supplication, or from his answer to those who questioned him.

1157. mas} 'Who had somehow suddenly come thither.' Polynices had come when the altar was deserted for the pursuit, and while there was an (Hdt. 1. 45) about the sacrifices. Hence the indefinite adverb, marking that his coming was unobserved. Cp. Tr. 695, He was found there by the people returning thither; who brought word to Theseus when on his way to Colonus with the maidens II51).

'When I set forth,' 1. e. When I left the altar on the occasion which led to the pursuit. (Supr. 888, 897, 1019.) Elmsley, Hermann, and Schneidw. refer Sppo- to and transl. 'dum aberam ego. But is not equi- C}, valent to @. And such a departure from the obvious meaning is not justified by a trifling inconsistency, which is after all a verbal one, for although Theseus did not go direct from the altar to the pursuit, yet the swift action of 886-1041 is part of a continuous movement which began when he was called away from the sacrifice. There is therefore no reason for detaching the clause from the nearer antecedent. belongs in meaning to as well as to

1160, 'What does he want by sitting there?' i.e. What is the meaning of his supplication The dative is used as if had been

1164, 5. (1) ' His sole request, they say, is to be allowed to have conference with thee, and te be allowed to return, without receiving harm through his coming hither.' 6600 is a genitive of respect after the privative adverb. Cp. infra 1399, foll. Vauvillers' conjecture, founded on Musgrave's 7', is justified both by the awkward pleonasm in poddvra, 'to come and be admitted,' and by the synaphea, which cannot be defended by such examples as O. T. 332, 3, where the 'running on' is assisted by the pause immediately preceding. 'This is true even of Ar. Av. 1716, 7, | x.7.X., where the licence is caricatured. Schndw. joins poddvr He is come and asks,' but the participle is then still more inopportune.

1171. ' When I hear this, i.e. Your last speech, in which you mention Argos. For where would be more exact, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 34, and cp. Phil. 628, Seva; The reference to Ismene's information in 378, foll., which Reisig and Hermann supposed, would be too obscure.

1172. For the optative, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 62, and cp. Thuc. 3. 84. is equivalent to supra. Cp. Eur. Med. 599,

1173, 4. 'My son, O king, hated by me: to whom of all the world I should most detest to listen." For the inexact use of the genitive after the superlative, see Essay on L. 9. p. 14, and cp. supra 105, brepTarois

1177, 8. 'The sound of that voice has come to be abhorrent to his father's ear, and, I beseech thee, do not compel me to yield in this.' see Essay on L. 50. p. 94, and cp. El. 1225, ; And for the meaning of see Essay on L. 97.

1179, 80. ' But what if his suppliant posture necessarily compels you? Consider : - whether you do not owe a reverence to the God. et is to be taken in the sense of 'whether,' or 'what if." is a double construction, with «.7.A., and #.7.A., the second clause being added in ex. planation of the first. The emphatic refers to in 1178. Several editors have preferred But although it is suitable for Antigone in 1183 to speak of Theseus' religious scruples, it is more consistent with the tone of Theseus himself to give this friendly warning to Oedipus.

1182. If these words referred to Polynices, as Hermann thought, Antigone would show less tact in addressing her father than in supplicating the Elders (supra 237). Theseus has indicated a strong wish, as Oedipus perceives (1178, 1350), that Polynices should be allowed to come, and also has expressed a fear that to repulse him would be to dishonour the God. Antigone appeals to her father's respect and gratitude towards Theseus, and to his affection for his daughters, as the motives most likely to influence him,

1186. The antecedent to is a se cond accusative after sc. 'Fearnot. He will not wrest thy judgment to such words of his as are against thy purposes.'

1187. is the MS. reading, and the emendation of Hermann, is not specially in point. His explanation is unsatisfactory. ' Antigona, ut confirmet, quod dixit, oratione audienda nihil damni accipi, rationem reddit hanc, quod male facta dicendo dissimulari neaueant, sed ipsa oratio proditrix esse mali consilii soleat.. The words have no direct application to Polynices, but are a rhetorical generality, like some others in this play. Cp. Thuc. 2. 40, For signifying a project not yet put in action, cp. Tr. 1157, : Aj. 466,

1190. This seems 'to be the better of two ways of emending this line. Essay on L. 8 41. p. 77. Others read

1192. The conjecture of the 1st London edition, has been accepted with various modifications by subsequent critics. The text is eloquently defended by Mr. Palmer, who observes: 'I think it not quite impossible to understand the brief expression, backed up as it is by the argument which follows, as the language of earnest entreaty, and that the verb is to be supplied by the mind. Antigone had fully presented her request at the commencement of her speech, so that what she then said may be considered as referred to in this short broken sentence, "Nay, but receive him graciously .. there are others who have had bad sons and fierce anger, and as they have been charmed into gentleness by the soothing persuasion of their friends, so be you." If were uttered in a tone of earnest entreaty, and the speaker abruptly added what follows, I can conceive that it would be very intelligible, and if so, the touching effect of the entreaty would be heightened by the very fact that the sentence was unfinished. Antigone leaves her father to imagine all she meant to say, and supplies what is wanting in words by the earnestness of her manner and beseeching tone of voice.' There is force in these remarks, though the quotation of parallel examples would be more to the purpose. The MSS. are practically unanimous ; but the aposiopesis is all but unique. Cp. however Aesch. Cho. 749 ff., where Schiitz and other editors suppose a lacuna. And in this play there are several places where the original construction of a sentence is not carried out. Cp. esp. supr. 421 ff, 531 infr. 1299 ff, 1370 ff., 1669. Comparisons between classical Greek and the New Testament are usually too remote to be of any use; but the language of affection has similarities in every age, and the ellipse in Philemon 12 is curiously parallel - od (sc. which is added from the deferred apodosis in the Textus Receptus). The motive in both cases is the same, viz. a delicate tact, which shrinks from uttering the word of command or entreaty, and hastens to urge fresh topics of persuasion. The deferred apodosis is implied in line 1201, Cp. Aesch. Cho. 649 ff, where Dindorf supposes a lacuna, oe in Paris A (followed by R) is a gloss of some grammarian who understood the passage as it is explained in Canter's note: 'Insigne est hoc ac singulare. Vult enim hoc dicere, etc." For an equally difficult anacoluthon, see Thuc. 5. 22. Qy. (AAAAYTON)

1193, 4. .. " But, on their receiving counsel, their nature is pacified by the counsels of friends, who charm away their passion.'

1195. (Sc. i.e. Turn from the indignity which now enrages you to those former calamities which you suffered, not by your own fault, but by the fault of your father and mother. 'The correction for ph is unnecessary, and gives a weak meaning to The note of the Scholiast, GAN' Tis

is right in spirit, for Antigone is not reproaching her father. But, in gently approaching the subject, she alludes only in the most general way to the miseries which came from the rash impetuosity of Laius, Jocasta, and Oedipus, and, to avoid reproaching him, refers them all to their source in the actions of his parents. Cp. supr. 268, 595 ff. And for the meaning of Ant. 493, 4. |

1201, 2. | Kata (1) 'It is not well that those whose request is just should make long supplication ; i.e. They should be at once gratified. This involves a change of subject (Essay on L. p. 65), and requires that the acc. mpooxpy¢ovras should have been attracted into the dat. in construction with (ib. § 35. pp. 59,60). Both difficulties may be avoided by taking in the general sense of ' obstinate continuance,' as in Hdt. 1. 94, etc., and as=mpos wpooxprCovras, or as if were (2) 'It is not well to be obdurate to a just request. Cp. supr. 1119,

Aimapés, For this meaning, cp. Fr. 76, And for the dative, cp. O. T. 1373, and see Essay on L. 8 12. p. 18. 8 1. But the constant use of in Attic, in the sense of ' to press with requests,' renders this interpretation improbable, and the former (1) is to be preferred. The use of (rather than phy in 1203 is accounted for by the attraction of the previous ov, and by reference to the actual circumstances. Essay on L, § 29. p. 49.

1204. 'You win me by your words to grant your request against my will.' may either refer (1) to the pleasure which Oedipus gives to his daughters, cp. Aj. 114, : or (2) to the pleasure which he feels in hearing them; either being accompanied with pain to himself. For the accusative in (2) see Essay on L. 8 17. p. 24, and cp. Tr. 960, 1, The oxymoron is more pointed in (2).

1211, foll. 'How foolish to desire long life, which but increases sorrow ; while joys depart before the joyless hour of death. Far best for a man is never to be born; but after birth to go with all speed whence he came is next best by far. For when once thoughtless youth is come, [who escapes from grief ?] what grief is not there? Blood, faction, strife, war, envy, and, last of ills, hateful, cold, helpless, friendless age, wherein all the greatest evils make their dwelling. So I have found, and so too this unfortunate is buffeted with a sea of troubles, some fresh calamity ever breaking over him, some borne on the sunset breeze, some at the rising of the sun, some coming through the noontide blaze, and some from the winds of night.'

The iambic and trochaic metres which are here mingled with the glyconic and logaoedic, are lighter and more resolved than in the previous ode.

1211. The coming of Polynices again mars the peacefulness of the scene. The old age of Oedipus appears to have sorrow upon sorrow. The theme of the chorus is not, as some have thought, the unprofitableness of riches, but the misery of old age and the folly of desiring long life.

1211, 12. ' He whose desire of life keeps not the mean, but craves the larger share, will be convicted in my judgment of cherishing folly.' must be closely connected with the genitives, and is rather to be explained as an accusative of respect than as epexegetic infinitive.

(1) ' Neglecting themoderate portion,' a poetical construction for Cp. Plat. Legg. 3, 691 C, tis The same construction occurs in Plat. Phaedr. 235 E, Tov... Or (2), supposing an ellipse of the inf,, xpy ev, 'Omitting to desire the mean.' Thuc. 8. 41, dgeis és és The article, as elsewhere with words of number and measurement, opposing what is more to what is less. The expressionro occurs in Cleobulus quoted by Suidas; Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Gr. Mel. xi.

1215, 16. These words have been explained in two ways: (1) 'Since length of days brings many things (in life) nearer to grief.' (Herm.) (2) 'Since length of days has in store much that is akin to sorrow.' (Elms.) A third way of taking seems preferable. (3) 'Since length of days contributes much that is akin to sorrow;' i.e. is a subjective middle, like Not=' Has laid up in store,' which requires the perfect tense, but 'brings in,' sc. eis Cp Hesiod. Op. et D. 361. For the use of the adverb, cp. Ant. 933, 4, And see Essay on L. § 24. p. 40, 2.

1219, 20. (1) ' voluntatem significat, .. Genitivus vero non regitur a comparativo . . sed ut ita etiam dictum. Sensus est, si quis in id, quod in cupiendo nimium est, incidit: i.e. Si quis modum in cupiendo excedit.' (Herm.) See Essay on L. § 30. p. 51. But the absence of joys comes not from desiring too much, but from having toa much of life. Hence (2) it is better to explain sc. as that portion (of life) which is accompanied with desire to live. 'When one outlives the will to live.' Musgr. conj. For eis. . in this coneis nexion, cp. Eur. Ion, 700, It may be worth suggesting that, in Eur. I. A. 657, should be read for

1220. *6 The correction turns simply on the substitution of o for ov and vice versd. The old spelling of either reading would be odemxopos. When had been changed to the other change was natural, as we see from the Schol. The order is és 'But death is an impartial ally to finish all at last.' Cp. H. Merc. 97, For the use of the article, see Essay on L. § 21. 33, 5. A slighter change from the MS. reading, xoupos, which obtained in edd. before Brunck, may be explained to mean, 'and they find no helper, when death, etc., etc., comes.' But the clauses are not well balanced, the metre is improbable, and a change, such as 7° is required in 1235. The reading is ingeniously adapted to .. 0éAov7os, in the sense, 'When one has fallen into an excess of wishing,' viz. 'and cannot have enough?' but cannot be turned so as to give a satisfactory and consistent meaning to the whole sentence; besides which and not would be required. And the reading of Hermann, adopted in the text, metrically corresponds to the antistrophe. seems to be a verbal with an active meaning. For instances of this, see Essay on L. p. 98.

dance, nor lyre." For of an unlooked for coming, cp. Aesch. Cho. 328, like Aesch, Pers. 917: Eur. Med. 987. is either (1) the right of Hades in men, or (2) man's share of death, like Death is imagined as lurking near until the appointed time.

1225. 'Stands first on the whole calculation i.e. Is best of all. The construction is analogous to etc. Cp. Fr. 737, A similar expression of the early Ionic pessimism occurs in Theognis, 425, | dféos | Cp. Hdt. 7. 46, THS The words come near to the language of Job 10. 19, 'I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.' ' When one hath seen the light.' For the subjunctive without see Essay on L. § 27. p. 44; and fora similar omission of ris, cp. Ant. 1025,

1226. 'To go from whence he came.' A curious attraction of the antecedent for wep. Essay on L. § 35. p. 60.

These words assist the connection with what follows. 'As soon as possible; for, once let youth be there, etc." See note on 1229.

1229. @S TO .. Bonitz, deriving from nt, interprets, 'Since when one has passed youth with its light unconsciousness.' And this is favoured at first sight by the analogy of such passages as Tr. 144-51, Aj. 552-9. But 1. The plural dgpootvas, and the meaning of are both harsh according to this interpretation. Hence Nauck conj. 2. The comparison of Fr. 713, tBpis .. and of Il. 3. 108, support the more obvious meaning, ' When youth is present." 3, The connexion with ws xtora, and the dark colouring of the whole ode, are in keeping with the most natural meaning of the words. 'For when once youth is there with her thoughtless follies...' Greek tragedy is continually reminding us that men are plunged by mere thoughtlessness into the deepest calamities.

The interpretation of 1.1231 is doubtful. It is clear, however, that if the words ordacets, etc., are in any construction, the Scholiast is right in explaining tis to mean Os For the genitive, cp. Tr. 146, On the other hand the subject of tis is generally supposed to be ris 'What trouble-vexed mortal wanders out of the way' (i.e, the broad way of trouble)?' 1. e. Which of all the suffering race is exempt from suffering? The proleptic use of moAvpox Gos, although curious, is not by any means fatal to this interpretation (Essay on L. § 38. p. 70). But the inversion of the subject (' What man escapes? What trouble is not there?' when combined with the ellipse of is somewhat harsh. And is a strange expression for For is generally, 'To miss a desired end;' or to be driven out of an intended course. 'Who misses of being miserable?' (tis ; 2nd Scholiast) is a paradoxical expression in which the paradoxical form has no force or meaning. And if the paradox had been intended it would have been more pointedly brought out. The interpretation of the 1st Scholiast is on the whole more probable: Tis ; (2) 'Which of the many troubles will be turned aside?' i.e. anticipating the notion of Tis Ka pa- Tos Tis 'What troublous woe misses the life? What woe is not found therein?' The retention of the same subject, and the antithesis of and are in favour of this. The personification (cp. supra 530, émorpopal is in harmony with the catalogue which fol- lows, and with in 1. 1236. Aesch. Prom. 275, 6, | Cave. Ant. 613, 4, | The ellipse (of after is not more difficult than the similar ellipse after The collocation of is like

1235, 6. ' Has allotted to him the last place of all.' ntpatovissupplementary predicate agreeing with in the same construction as the adjective in = 'Coming in after the rest.' is an Epic word, stronger than

1238. Essay on L. 40. p. 75. 4. For the thought, cp. Fr. 864, And contrast 'that which should accompany old age, | As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,' Macb. 5. 2.

1241. This, which is properly the apodosis, has been absorbed, as often happens in comparisons, into the relative clause, and the construction is therefore supplemented by the more explicit application of the simile in ws «at Essay on L. § 35. p. 60.