Chapter 7

[82] How the cosmoramic effects here described were represented on the stage, it is difficult to say, but such descriptions are by no means rare in the poets. Compare Musaeus, 314, sqq. Lucan, I. 75 sqq. and a multitude in the notes of La Cerda on Virgil, AEn. I. 107, and Barthius on Claudian. Gigant. 31, sqq. Nonnus, Dionys. I. p. 12.

[83] Or, "of which may Jove the Averter be what his name imports." See Paley and Linwood's Lex.

[84] This interpretation is now fully established, See Paley. Thus Caesar, B. G. I. 29, "qui arma ferre possent: et item separatius pueri, senes;" II. 28, Eteocles wishes even the [Greek: achreioi] to assist in the common defense.

[85] [Greek: pistoi] is to be supplied with [Greek: genoisthe].

[86] Although [Greek: boter] may be compared with the Roman _pullarius_, yet the phrase is here probably only equivalent to [Greek: despotes manteumaton] soon after.

[87] Paley prefers "nocturno concilio agitari," comparing Rhes. 88, [Greek: tas sas pros eunas phylakes elthontes phobo nyktegorousi]. On the authority of Griffiths, I have supplied [Greek: tous Achaious] before [Greek: epibouleuein].

[88] See my note on Prom. 863.

[89] See commentators.

[90] Cf. Jelf. Gk. Gr. Sec. 566, 2.

[91] See Linwood, s.v. [Greek: stephein]. Paley compares v. 267, [Greek: Laphyra daon douriplechth' hagnois domois Stepso pro naon]. Adrastus alone had been promised a safe return home.

[92] Cf. Eum. 515, [Greek: oikton oiktisaito], _would utter cries of pity_. Suppl. 59, [Greek: oikton oiktron aion], _hearing one mournful piteous cry_. The old translations rendered it, "no regret was expressed on their countenance."

[93] Perhaps we might render [Greek: phraxai], _dam_, in order to keep up the metaphor of the ship. Cf. Hom. Od. V. 346, [Greek: phraxe de min rhipessi diamperes oisyinesi]. The closing the ports of a vessel to keep out the water will best convey the meaning to modern readers.

[94] This seems the true meaning of [Greek: ephestios], _indigenous in Greece_, as Blomfield interprets, quoting Hesych, [Greek: ephestios, autochthon, enoikos], II. B. 125, etc. An Athenian audience, with their political jealousy of Asiatic influence, and pride of indigenous origin, would have appreciated this prayer as heartily as the one below, v. 158, [Greek: polin doriponon me prodoth' Heterophono strato], which their minds would connect with more powerful associations than the mere provincial differences of Boeotia and Argos. How great a stress was laid upon the ridicule of foreign dialect, may be seen from the reception of Pseudartabas in the Acharnians.

[95] Cf. Arist. Rhet. II. 17, 6. The same sentiment, though expressed the contrary way, occurs in Eur. Troad. 26, [Greek: Eremia gar polin hotan labe kake, Nosei ta ton theon oude timasthai thelei].

[96] The chorus survey the surrounding plains from a high part of the Acropolis of Thebes, as Antigone from the top of the palace in the Phoenissae of Euripides, v. 103, sqq.

[97] [Greek: prodromos]=_so as to be foremost_. Cf. Soph. Antig. 108, [Greek: phygada prodromon oxytero kinesasa chalino].

[98] This passage is undoubtedly corrupt, but Dindorf's conjecture [Greek: hele d' emas phrenas deos; hoplon ktypos potichrimptetai, dia pedon boa potatai, bremei d']--, although ingenious, differs too much from the _ductus literarum_, to be considered safe. Paley from the interpretation of the Medicean MS. and the reading of Robortelli, [Greek: eDIDemnas], has conjectured [Greek: DIA de gas emas pedi' hoploktypou], which seems preferable. Perhaps we might read [Greek: epi de gas pedioploktypou osin chrimp. boa], by tmesis, for [Greek: epichrimptetai]. AEschylus used the compound, [Greek: enchriptesthai], Suppl. 790, and nothing is more common than such a tmesis. I doubt whether [Greek: pedioploktypon] is not one of AEschylus' own "high-crested" compounds. Mr. Burges has kindly suggested a parallel passage of an anonymous author, quoted by Suidas, s. v. [Greek: hyparattomenes: hippon chremetizonton, tes ges tois posin auton hyparattomenes, oulon synkrouomenon].

[99] Cf. Soph. Antig. 106.

[100] Cf. Virg. _AEn._ I. 479;

"Interea ad templum non aequae Palladis ibant Crinibus Iliades passis, peplumque ferebant Suppliciter tristes"--

Statius, Theb. x. 50:

----"et ad patrias fusae Pelopeides aras Sceptriferae Junonis opem, reditumque suorum Exposcunt, pictasque fores, et frigida vultu Saxa terunt, parvosque docent procumbere natos * * * * * Peplum etiam dono, cujus mirabile textum," etc.

[101] Here there is a gap in the metre. See Dindorf.

[102] "pro vitanda servitute."--Paley.

[103] Not "at the seven gates," as Valckenaer has clearly shown.

[104] The paronomasia can only be kept up by rendering, "do thou, king of wolves, fall with wolf-like fierceness," etc. Mueller, Dorians, vol. i. p. 325, considers that [Greek: Lykeios] is connected with [Greek: lyke], _light_, not with [Greek: lykos], _a wolf_.

[105] I follow Paley's emendation, [Greek: auetais].

[106] See a judicious note of Paley's.

[107] I have borrowed Griffiths' translation. It seems impossible that [Greek: hagnon telos] could ever be a personal appeal, while [Greek: sy te] evidently shows that the address to Pallas Onca was unconnected with the preceding line. As there is probably a lacuna after [Greek: Diothen], it is impossible to arrive at any certain meaning.

[108] See Stanley. [Greek: Onka] is a Phoenician word, and epithet of Minerva.

[109] The boys, girls, etc.

[110] Cf. Eur. Hippol. 1219, sqq.

[Greek: kai despotes men hippikois en ethesi polys xynoikon herpas' henias cheroin, helkei de kopen hoste naubates aner].

[111] _I.e._ to adore the images placed at the head of the vessel. See Griffiths.

[112] This far-fetched interpretation of an absurd text is rightly condemned by W. Dindorf in his note, who elegantly reads with Lud. Dindorf [Greek: hydasi t' Ismenou]. Paley has clearly shown the origin of the corruption. Linwood is equally disinclined to support the common reading.

[113] Blomfield reads [Greek: ego de g' andras], the change of [Greek: DEG] to [Greek: DEP] being by no means a difficult one. Linwood agrees with this alteration, and Dindorf in his notes. But Paley still defends the common reading, thinking that [Greek: ep' echthrois] is to be taken from the following line. I do not think the poet would have hazarded a construction so doubtful, that we might take [Greek: epi] either with [Greek: andras], [Greek: echthrois], or by tmesis, with [Greek: axo].

[114] The construction of the exegetical accusative is well illustrated in Jelf's Gk. Gr. Sec. 580, 3.

[115] I have followed Blomfield, and Dindorf in his notes, in reading [Greek: kydos toisde politais].

[116] This is perhaps the sense required; but, with Dindorf, I can not see how it can be elicited from the common reading. Perhaps Schneider's [Greek: artitrophois] is right, which is approved by Dindorf, Linwood, and Paley.

[117] There is the same irregular antithesis between [Greek: allon agei] and [Greek: ta de (=ta de) pyrphorei]; as in Soph. Ant. 138, [Greek: eiche d' alla ta men, alla d' ep' allois epenoma--Ares].

[118] See Elmsl. on Eur. Bacch. 611. I follow Griffiths and Paley.

[119] There is much difficulty in the double participle [Greek: peson-kyresas]. Dindorf would altogether omit [Greek: kyresas], as a gloss. But surely [Greek: peson] was more likely to be added as a gloss, than [Greek: kyresas]. I think that the fault probably lies in [Greek: peson].

[120] This passage is scarcely satisfactory, but I have followed Paley. Perhaps if we place a comma after [Greek: hyperterou], and treat [Greek: hos andr. d. hyp. eutych.] as a genitive absolute, there will be less abruptness, [Greek: elpis esti] standing for [Greek: elpizousi], by a frequent enallage.

[121] The turgidity of this metaphor is almost too much even for AEschylus!

[122] The multitude of interpretations of the common reading are from their uniform absurdity sufficient to show that it is corrupt. I have chosen the least offensive, but am still certain that [Greek: apartizei] is indefensible. Hermann (who, strange to say, is followed by Wellauer) reads [Greek: katargizei], Blomfield [Greek: katartizei].

[123] Besides Stanley's illustrations, see Pricaeus on Apul. Apol. p. 58. Pelagonius in the Geoponica, XVI. 2, observes [Greek: agathou de hippou kai touto tekmerion, hotan hestekos me anechetai, alla kroton ten gen hosper trechein epithyme]. St. Macarius Hom. XXIII. 2, [Greek: epan de mathe (ho hippos) kai synethisthe eis ton polemon, hotan osphranthe kai akouse phonen polemou, autos hetoimos erchetai epi tous echthrous, hoste kai ap' autes tes phones ptoesin empoiein tois polemiois]. Marmion, Canto V.,

"Marmion, like charger in the stall, That hears without the trumpet's call, Began to chafe and swear."

[124] See Boyes' Illustrations, p. 11.

[125] This seems to be the sense of [Greek: mantis ennoia]. Blomfield would add [Greek: ennoia] to the dative, which is easier.

[126] So Linwood. Justice is styled the near relation of Melanippus, because he was [Greek: aischron argos], v. 406. The scholiast however interprets it [Greek: to tes xyngeneias dikaion].

[127] Dindorf's substitution of [Greek: dikaias] for [Greek: dikaios] is no improvement. Paley's [Greek: dikaios] is more elegant, but there seems little reason for alteration.

[128] Probably nothing more than the lightning is meant, as Blomfield supposes. Paley quotes Eur. Cycl. 328, [Greek: peplon krouei, Dios brontaisin eis erin ktypon]. And this agrees with the fate of Capaneus as described in Soph. Antig. 131, sqq.; Nonnus, XXVIII. p. 480; Eur. Phoen. 1187, sqq.

[129] Blomfield compares Eur. Bacch. 733, [Greek: thyrsois dia cheroin hoplismenas]. But the present construction is harsher.

[130] See Blomfield.

[131] I follow Blomfield and Paley.

[132] "We embrace this opportunity of making a grammatical observation with respect to the older poets, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not hitherto been noticed by any grammarian or critic. Wherever a wish or a prayer is expressed, either by the single optative mood of the verb, or with [Greek: me, eithe, ei gar, eithe gar], the verb is in the second aorist, if it have a distinct second aorist; otherwise it may be in the present tense, but is more frequently in the first aorist."--Edinb. Rev. xix. 485.

[133] _I.e._ not bearing a braggart inscription, but putting confidence in his own valor. [Greek: ou] was rightly thrown out by Erfurdt. See Paley.

[134] _I.e._ from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus.

[135] Eteoclus and the figure on his shield.

[136] Like a Bacchic devotee. See Virg. AEn. IV. 301, sqq. So in the Agamemnon, v. 477.

[Greek: martyrei de moi kasis pelou xynouros, dipsia konis, tade].

[137] Cf. Ag. 174. [Greek: Zena de tis epinikia klazon, Teuxetai phrenon to pan]. Dindorf would omit all the following lines. There is some difficulty about the sense of [Greek: prosphileia], which I think Pauw best explains as meaning "such is the god that respectively befriends each of these champions."

[138] Cf. Apollon. Rhod. I. 466, [Greek: Isto nyn dory thouron hoto periosion allon kydos eni ptolemoisin aeiromai, oude m' ophellei Zeus toson, hossation per emon dory]. Statius Theb. ix. 649--"ades o mihi dextera tantum Tu praesens bellis, et inevitable numen, Te voco, te solam superum contemptor adoro." See Cerda on Virg. AEn. X. 773.

[139] So Catullus, iii. 4, 5.

Passer, deliciae meae puellae, Quem plus illa oculis suis amabat.

And Vathek, p. 124 (of the English version), "Nouronihar loved her cousin more than her own beautiful eyes."--OLD TRANSLATOR. See Valcken. on Theocrit. xi. 53.

[140] A pun upon the word [Greek: parthenos] in the composition of Parthenopaeus's name.

[141] The figure on the shield is undoubtedly the one meant.

[142] _I.e._ "he will fight by wholesale." See comm. Perhaps the English phrase to "deal a blow," to "lend a blow," is the nearest approximation to this curious idiom. Boyes quotes some neat illustrations.

[143] This passage is a fair instance of the impossibility of construing certain portions of AEschylus as they are edited. Dindorf in his notes approves of Dobree's emendation, [Greek: kai ton son aut' adelphou es patros moron Exyptiazon onoma], and so Paley, except that he reads [Greek: omma] with Schutz, and renders it "_oculo in patrio OEdipi fatum religiose sublato_." Blomfield's [Greek: prosmolon homosporon] seems simpler, and in better taste. [Greek: homosporon] was doubtless obliterated by the gloss [Greek: adelpheon] (an Ionic form ill suited to the senarius), and the [Greek: homoioteleuton] caused the remainder of the error. Burges first proposed [Greek: homosporon] in Troad. Append. p. 134, D. As to Paley's idea that OEdipus' death was caused "_per contentiorim filii indolem_," I can not find either authority for the fact, or reason for its mention here, and I have therefore followed Blomfield. Dindorf's translation I can not understand. The explanations of [Greek: exyptiazon onoma] are amusing, and that is all.

[144] _I.e._ saying [Greek: Polyneikes polyneikes]. Paley ingeniously remarks that [Greek: endateisthai] is here used in a double sense, both of _dividing_ and _reproaching_. See his note, and cf. Phoen. 636. [Greek: alethos onoma Polyneike pater etheto soi theia, pronoia, neikeon eponymon].

[145] See Griffiths.

[146] Porson, and all the subsequent editors have bracketed this verse, as spurious, but the chief objection to this sense of [Greek: karpizesthai] seems to be obviated by Paley. See his note.

[147] Either with [Greek: palin] or [Greek: polin] there is much difficulty, as without an epithet [Greek: polis] seems harshly applied to Hades. Paley thinks that [Greek: ten makran] refers both to [Greek: pompen] and [Greek: polin]. Dindorf adopts his usual plan when a difficulty occurs, and proposes to omit the line. Fritzsche truly said of this learned critic, that if he had the privilege of omitting every thing he could not understand, the plays of the Grecian dramatists would speedily be reduced to a collection of fragments.

[148] When the spear was not in use, it was held in the left hand, under the shield. See Blomfield.

[149] Sc. king, or victor. Blomfield adopts the former.

[150] This passage is not satisfactory. Paley reads [Greek: andrelaton], but I am doubtful about [Greek: tos ... tonde ... tropon].

[151] In the original there is, perhaps, a slight mixture of construction, [Greek: haimatos] partly depending upon [Greek: karpos] implied in [Greek: pikrokarpon], and partly upon [Greek: androktasian], [Greek: androkt.. haim.] being _the slaughter of a man, by which his blood is shed_.

[152] Wellauer: _denuntians lucrum, quod prius erit morte posteriore_: _i.e._ victoriam quam sequetur mors. And so Griffiths and Paley.

[153] Shakespeare uses this name in the opening speech of King Henry, in part I.:

No more the thirsty Erinnys of this soil Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood. OLD TRANSLATOR.

[154] See above, v. 383.

[155] Somewhat to the same effect is the dream of Atossa in the Persae.

[156] I prefer Blomfield's transposition to Dindorf's correction, [Greek: blapsiphronos], which, though repudiated in the notes, is still adopted by Paley.

[157] A noble impersonation of the sword.

[158] Shakespeare, King John, Act 4, sc. 2:

That blood, which own'd the breadth of all this isle, Three foot of it doth hold.

King Henry IV. part I. Act 5, sc. 5:

Fare thee well, great heart! Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk! When that this body did contain a spirit, A kingdom for it was too small a bound; But now, two paces of the vilest earth Is room enough.

[159] Surely the full stop after [Greek: polin] in v. 749 should be removed, and a colon, or mark of hyperbaton substituted. On looking at Paley's edition, I find myself anticipated.

[160] This is Griffiths' version of this awkward passage. I should prefer reading [Greek: alkan] with Paley, from one MS. So also Burges.

[161] See my note on Soph. Philoct. 708, ed. Bohn.

[162] This seems the best way of rendering the bold periphrase, [Greek: ho polybotos aion broton]. See Griffiths.

[163] I follow Paley. Dindorf, in his notes, agrees in reading [Greek: trophas], but the metre seems to require [Greek: epikotos]. Griffiths defends the common reading, but against the ancient authority of the schol. on OEd. Col. 1375. See Blomfield.

[164] Blomfield with reason thinks that a verse has been lost.

[165] The care which the Messenger takes to show the bright side of the picture first, reminds us of Northumberland's speech, Shakespeare, King Henry IV. part II. Act 1, sc. 1:

This thou would'st say--Your son did thus and thus; Your brother, thus; so fought the noble Douglas; Stopping my greedy ear with their bold deeds; But in the end, to stop mine ear indeed, Thou hast a sigh to blow away this praise, Ending with--brother, son, and all are dead. --OLD TRANSL.

[166] This is a good example of the figure chiasmus, the force of which I have expressed by the bracketed words repeated from the two infinities. See Latin examples in the notes of Arntzenius on Mamertin. Geneth. 8, p. 27; Pang. Vett. t. i.

[167] The Messenger retires to dress for the Herald's part.

Horace's rule, "Nec quarta loqui persona laboret," seems to have been drawn from the practice of the Greek stage. Only three actors were allowed to each of the competitor-dramatists, and these were assigned to them by lot. (Hesychius, [Greek: Nemesis hypokriton].) Thus, for instance, as is remarked by a writer in the Quarterly Review, in the OEdipus at Colonus, v. 509, Ismene goes to offer sacrifice, and, after about forty lines, returns in the character of Theseus. Soon afterward, v. 847, Antigone is carried off by Creon's attendants, and returns as Theseus after about the same interval as before.--OLD TRANSLATION. The translator had misquoted the gloss of Hesychius.

[168] This is the tragic account. See Soph. Antig. 170, sqq.; Eurip. Phaen. 757, sqq. But other authors mention descendants of both.

[169] Another pun on [Greek: Polyneikes].

[170] Cf. Romeo and Juliet, Act 4, sec. 3:

"I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins."

[171] This passage is confessedly corrupt. Paley seems to have rightly restored [Greek: astolon] from the [Greek: astolon theorida] in Robertelli's edition. This ship, as he remarks, would truly be [Greek: astolos], in opposition to the one sent to Delphi, which was properly said [Greek: stellesthai epi theorian]. The words [Greek: astibe Apolloni] confirm this opinion. In regard to the allusions, see Stanley and Blomfield, also Wyttenbach on Plato Phaedon. sub. init.

[172] This repetition of [Greek: di' hon] is not altogether otiose. Their contention for estate was the cause both of their being [Greek: ainomoroi] and of the [Greek: neikos] that ensued.

[173] _I.e._ the sword. Cf. v. 885.

[174] This epithet applied to their ancestral tombs doubtless alludes to the violent deaths of Laius and OEdipus.

[175] On the enallage [Greek: somati] for [Greek: somasi] see Griffiths. The poet means to say that this will be all their possession after death. Still Blomfield's reading, [Greek: chomati], seems more elegant and satisfactory.

[176] Pauw remarks that Polynices is the chief subject of Antigone's mourning, while Ismene bewails Eteocles. This may illustrate much of the following dialogue, as well as explain whence Sophocles derived his master-piece of character, the Theban martyr-heroine, Antigone.

[177] Throughout this scene I have followed Dindorf's text, although many improvements have been made in the disposition of the dramatis personae. Every one will confess that the length of [Greek: io io] commonplaces in this scene would be much against the play, but for the animated conclusion, a conclusion, however, that must lose all its finest interest to the reader who is unacquainted with the Antigone of Sophocles!

[178] Wellauer (not Scholfield, as Griffiths says) defends the common reading from Herodot. V. 49.

[179] [Greek: trachyne] But T. Burgess' emendation [Greek: trachys ge] seems better, and is approved by Blomfield.

[180] Soph. Ant. 44. [Greek: e gar noeis thaptein sph' aporreton polei].

[181] I have taken Griffiths' translation of what Dindorf rightly calls "lectio vitiosa," and of stuff that no sane person can believe came from the hand of AEschylus. Paley, who has often seen the truth where all others have failed, ingeniously supposes that [Greek: ou] is a mistaken insertion, and, omitting it, takes [Greek: diatetimetai] in this sense: "_jam hic non amplius a diis honoratur; ergo ego eum honorabo._" See his highly satisfactory note, to which I will only add that the reasoning of the Antigone of Sophocles, vss. 515, sqq. gives ample confirmation to his view of this passage.

[182] Blomfield would either omit this verse, or assign it to the chorus.

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