ΑΘ. τάδε τοι χώρᾳ τῇ 'μῇ προφρόνως ἀλλ ̓ ἐκράτησε Ζεὺς ̓Αγοραῖος ἔρις ἡμετέρα διὰ παντός. ΧΟ. τὰν δ ̓ ἄπληστον κακῶν μήποτ' ἐν πόλει στάσιν ἀντ. τῇδ ̓ ἐπεύχομαι βρέμειν μηδὲ πιοῦσα κόνις μέλαν αἷμα πολιτᾶν δι ̓ ὀργὰν ποινὰς ἀντιφόνους ἄτας ἁρπαλίσαι πόλεως. χάρματα δ' ἀντιδιδοῖεν καὶ στυγεῖν μιᾷ φρενί πολλῶν γὰρ τόδ' ἐν βροτοῖς ἄκος. ΑΘ. ἆρα φρονοῦσαι γλώσσης ἀγαθῆς in their operation, διανταῖαι, ν. 320. The MSS. give πάντα against the metre. Hermann πάντα. See on v. 245. 927. ἐπικραινομένων. An unusual middle verb, but Aeschylus has many other such see Prom, 43.—στέργω, not unlike aiva, Eur. Suppl. 201. Bacch. 10, &c., thanks to the eye of Persuasion,' sup. 845. 931. Ζεὺς ̓Αγοραῖος. The god of elo. quence and convincing argument; see Suppl. 618, and Elmsley on Heracl. 70. 932. ἀγαθῶν ἔρις. Herod. viii. 79, speaking of the dissensions between Aristides and Themistocles, ἡμέας στασιάζειν χρεόν ἐστι ἔν τε τῷ ἄλλῳ καιρῷ καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷδε, περὶ τοῦ ὁκότερος ἡμέων πλέω ἀγαθὰ τὴν πατρίδα ἐργάσεται. Βγ ἡμετέρα she shows that she and the Eumenides have now made common cause; and though vikav would properly imply that one side prevailed over the other, the idea here clearly is that the good, which they are both equally anxious to effect, has prevailed over the bad which had been threatened by one of the parties. 935. πιοῦσα κόνις. Cf. Theb. 733, καὶ χθονία κόνις πίῃ μελαμπαγὲς αἷμα φοίνιον, and Suppl. 616.—δι ̓ ὀργὰν, ‘through [B'. 935 (980) 940 (985) ἀντισύστ. β'. anger take satisfaction for murders to the destruction of the city. Weil retains ποινὰs, the reading of the Med. (al. ποινᾶς), comparing αντικτόνοις ποιναΐσι in 442, and taking ἅτας πόλεως in apposition. The dust is said ἁρπαλίζειν, eagerly to lick up, to catch at as an animal seizes its food, the slaughter of the citizens for other slaughter, i. e. the blood shed in civil broils. But πόλεως perhaps depends directly on ἁρπαλίσαι. Cf. Cho. 281. 939. χάρματα. Here a synonym of χάριτας, mutual favours and kindnesses. — κοινοφιλεῖ, the slight but important correction of Hermann for κοινωφελεῖ οι κοινοφελεῖ, is confirmed by στυγείν in the next verse. The infinitive depends rather irregularly on ἀντιδιδοῖεν, in which some verb is implied like ἐν νῷ ἔχοιεν. The notion of unanimity, which is remedy of many (evils) among men,' is expressed by the common Greek idea, τοὺς αὐτοὺς φίλους καὶ ἐχθροὺς νομίζειν. 943. φρονοῦσαι —εὑρίσκουσ'. This is the conjecture of Musgrave for φρονοῦσιν εὑρίσκει. One MS. only (Ven.) gives φρονούσης, with ed. Rob. Hermann reads εὑρίσκειν with Pauw, and puts the ὁδὸν εὑρίσκουσ ̓; ἐκ τῶν φοβερῶν τῶνδε προσώπων μέγα κέρδος ὁρῶ καὶ γῆν καὶ πόλιν ὀρθοδίκαιοι 945 (990) (995) στρ. γ'. 950 ΧΟ. χαίρετε χαίρετ ̓ ἐν αἰσιμίαισι πλούτου· χαίρετ ̓ ἀστικὸς λεὼς, ἴκταρ ἥμενοι Διὸς, παρθένου φίλας φίλοι σωφρονοῦντες ἐν χρόνῳ. (1000) question at πολίταις, num, si sapiunt, his civibus magnum ab his horribilibus vultibus lucrum video bonae linguae viam invenire? Weil φρονοῦσα—εὑρίσκεις, with Dind. Mr. J. B. Mayor adopts Hermann's reading, and translates, if they are wise enough to find the path of a good tongue.' But in fact Pallas addresses the citizens (as is clear from πρέψετε, ν. 948), and asks them whether the Furies are not now becoming wise in finding the way of a good tongue, i. e. in at length uttering blessings for curses (794). This is equivalent to saying, Will you not now respect and worship these goddesses who promise to be your benefactors ? The corruption of φρονοῦσαι led to the change of the verb into the singular, and thus threw the whole passage into confusion. 945. εὔφρονας. In this epithet, immediately contrasted with the φοβερὰ πρόσωπα as described sup. 47 seqq., the new title of Eumenides is implied. See also v. 984. Some have fancied a passage must have been lost from the conclusion of the play, in which this was expressly specified ; and Müller (Diss. p. 174, note) has gone so far as to question if the play was entitled Εὐμενίδες by the poet him. self. Hermann conceives the lacuna to occur at v. 983, where see the note. 947. ὀρθοδίκαιοι. On this adjective γῆν καὶ πόλιν depend, just and upright both in territory and city,' i. e. not depriving your neighbours of the one nor badly governing the other. All the MSS. however, except one of the latest, give ὀρθοδίκαιον, and it is a question whether péyere is not here active, as it certainly is in Ag. 1299. So διαπρέπειν in Plat. Gorg. p. 485, fin. The sense would then be, you will make your land and city conspicuous for justice, because, as before remarked, the cultus of the Eumenides was the respect for the dictates of conscience. Hermann, Franz, and Linwood give καὶ γῆ καὶ πόλις.— πάντως is the reading of MS. Ven. for πάντες, which is tame and superfluous. 949. ἐν αἰσιμίαισι πλούτου. ‘In possession of the blessings of wealth.' Etym. Μ.αἴσιμα· ἀγαθά. Weil reads ἐναισιμίαισι, from Hesych. Εναισιμία· διοσημία. 950. ἴκταρ ἥμενοι Διός. There was a statue of Ζεὺς Πολιεύς (Pausan. i. 24, 4) just above the theatre on the southern summit of the Acropolis. See Athens and Attica, p. 96. Hermann explains this as a phrase of superior virtue and excellence, quoting Plato, Phileb. p. 16, c, οἱ παλαιοὶ, κρείττονες ἡμῶν καὶ ἐγγυτέρω θεῶν οἰκοῦντες. De Rep. iii. p. 388, Β, Πρίαμον ἐγγὺς θεῶν γεγονότα, and the noble lines from the Niobe of Aeschylus (Frag. 146, Dind.), οἱ θεῶν ἀγχίσποροι, οἱ Ζηνὸς ἐγγὺς, ὧν κατ ̓ Ἰδαῖον πάγον Διὸς πατρῴου βωμός ἐστ ̓ ἐν αἰθέρι, κοὔπω σφιν ἐξίτηλον αἷμα δαιμόνων. —ἴκταρ, for ἐγγύς. Cf. Agam. 115. Hesiod, Theog. 690, οἱ δὲ κεραυνοὶ ἴκταρ ἅμα βροντῇ τε καὶ ἀστραπῇ εὖ ποτέοντο. Plat. Republ. ix. p. 575, C, πόλεως, τὸ λεγόμενον, οὐδ ̓ ἔκταρ βάλλει. Photius, ἴκταρ ̓ ἐγγύς· εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἐφικο νεῖσθαι. 951. φίλοι. The citizens are so called, and with great propriety. They are said σωφρονεῖν ἐν χρόνῳ because they have at length established among them that respect for conscience, that moral awe, which is meant by the cultus of the Erinyes, as clearly appears from the chorus 491 seqq. Hermann pronounces the common reading "admodum inep. tum,” and gives φίλοις εὐφρονοῦντες, 960 (1005) Παλλάδος δ ̓ ὑπὸ πτεροῖς ὄντας ἄζεται πατήρ. ΑΘ. χαίρετε χὐμεῖς· προτέραν δ' ἐμὲ χρὴ ἀντισύστ. ά. στείχειν θαλάμους ἀποδείξουσαν πρὸς φῶς ἱερὸν τῶνδε προπομπῶν. ἴτε, καὶ σφαγίων τῶνδ ̓ ὑπὸ σεμνῶν κατὰ γῆς σύμεναι τὸ μὲν ἀτηρὸν χώρας κατέχειν, τὸ δὲ κερδαλέον πέμπειν πόλεως ἐπὶ νίκῃ. ὑμεῖς δ ̓ ἡγεῖσθε, πολισσοῦχοι παῖδες Κραναοῦ, ταῖσδε μετοίκοις· εἴη δ ̓ ἀγαθῶν ἀγαθὴ διάνοια πολίταις. (1010) 965 ἀντ. γ'. ΧΟ. χαίρετε, χαίρετε δ ̓ αὖθις, ἐπανδιπλοίζω, πάντες οἱ κατὰ πτόλιν, δαίμονές τε καὶ βροτοὶ, Παλλάδος πόλιν νέμοντες· μετοικίαν δ ̓ ἐμὴν εὐσεβοῦντες οὔτι μέμψεσθε συμφορὰς βίου. nobis Minervae amicis benevolentes deinceps. Why should the chorus have used the masculine píλois rather than φίλαις ? 952. ὑπὸ πτεροις. These words have more than a merely metaphorical meaning. There is a reference to the statue of Pallas Νίκη, made by Phidias in 460, to which Aristophanes alludes in Ar. 574, αὐτίκα Νίκη πέτεται πτερυγοῖν χρυσαῖν. See Wordsworth, Athens and Attica, p. 97. This goddess was represented with wings. Hence Eur. Ion 457, ὦ πότνα Νίκα, μόλε Πύθιον οἶκον Ολύμπου χρυσέων θαλάμων πταμένα πρὸς ἀγυιάς.—After this verse Mr. Davies proposes to transfer the speech of Pallas 975-85, and to substitute 953-67. He observes that πέμψω in 976 is a promise of the procession which the anapaests introduce. 957. προτέραν στείχειν. Here again Hermann, in his zeal to contradict Müller, has wrongly denied that Pallas heads the procession, and maintains that she only "abit de scena ante pompam." "To whom," asks Mr. Drake, "was she to show their chambers, if not to the Furies?" 971 (1020) in the Areopagus), as descending the rocky steps above described from the platform of the Areopagus, then winding round the eastern angle of that hill, and conducting them with the sound of music and glare of torches along this rocky ravine to this dark enclosure." Athens and Attica, p. 80. 960. ὑπό. On this peculiar use see Monk on Hippol. 1294. So Ar. Ach. 970, εἴσειμ ̓ ὑπαὶ πτερύγων κιχλῶν καὶ κοψίχων. 961. ἀτηρόν. Bentley's correction for ἀτήριον. The genitive probably depends on κατέχειν, ‘to keep back from, as we often find εἴργειν πόλεως, and the like. Cf. ἁρπαλίσαι πόλεως in v. 937, πολέμου ἔσχον, Thuc. i. 112. But perhaps we should read χώρα, to keep back whatever is hurtful to the country.'ἐπὶ νίκῃ, cf. Cho. 853, εἴη δ ̓ ἐπὶ νίκῃ. 966. εἴη κ.τ.λ. May there be a good feeling,' or sense of gratitude, 'on the part of the citizens for the good done to them.' Or perhaps, 'may they have good intentions of doing good.' 970. ἐπανδιπλοίζω. So Herm. for ἐπιδιπλοίζω. Cf. Prom. 836, ἐπανδίπλαζε. Dindorf gives ἔπος διπλοίζω, and so Franz and Donaldson. 972. νέμοντες, ‘ruling ;' cf. 879. ΑΘ. αἰνῶ τε μύθους τῶνδε τῶν κατευγμάτων, πέμψω τε φέγγει λαμπάδων σελασφόρων Others read εὖ σέβοντες, against the MSS. μέμψεσθε, see sup. 566. 975. aiv@ TE. Hermann so reads for αἰνῶ δέ. For φέγγει he also, with Müller, gives φέγγη, which Franz states to be found in MS. Flor. They refer it to the actual tossing of the torches into the cavern which the dread goddesses were supposed to haunt (κευθμώνες, v. 772). But, if we assume Pallas to take part in the procession (see on v. 957), it is simpler to translate, I will escort you with the light of flashing torches.' So Pers. ult. πέμψω τοί σε δυσθρόοισιν γόοις. On the cavern in question see Athens and Attica, p. 79. Eur. El. 1271, πάγον παρ' αὐτὸν χάσμα δύσονται χθονός. 976. Hesych. σελασφόρος λαμπροφόρος (λαμπαδηφόρος ?). 978. ξὺν προσπόλοισιν. From this passage Müller argues (Diss. p. 62) that the procession set forth from the Acro. polis, and not from the Areopagus; and consequently that the scene was never shifted from the former to the latter place. Either supposition involves some difficulty : but the greater of the two is to conceive the institution and first judicial proceedings of the Areopagus to have been detached in imagination from its own proper locality: for it is clear that the scene could not have been in the Acropolis and also in the Areopagus at one and the same time. See the note on 655. It does not follow, because Pallas brings her póσroλo to swell the pomp of the procession, that they must have issued from the temple itself. 979. δικαίως, honestly, in regard perhaps to the treasures in the temple. Cf. Ag. 781. The particle yàp is used in reference to πομπὴ implied in πέμψω. 982. ἐνδυτοῖς. Hermann remarks that the word always implies a garment put on for the sake of additional ornament, as ἐνδυτῆρα πέπλον Trach. 674. If the passage be correct, the dative can only mean that the people who went in procession were clad in scarlet robes, this being the colour peculiar to the worship of the Chthonian goddesses, as Müller thinks (Diss. p. 173), though he is not justified in saying that the Furies themselves were clad in blood-red garments. They are distinctly called μελανείμονες and παλλεύκων πέπλων ἄμοιροι, vv. 332. 353. There was a curious ancient custom of putting on scarlet when any very solemn oath was about to be taken; and the connexion of the Furies with ̓Αραὶ we have seen above, v. 395. Cf. Lysias contra Andoc. p. 107, 52, ἐπὶ τούτοις ἱέρεται καὶ ἱερεῖς στάντες κατηράσαντο πρὸς ἑσπέραν, καὶ φοινικίδας ἀνέσεισαν, κατὰ τὸ νόμιμον τὸ παλαιὸν καὶ ἀρχαῖον. The ancient Romans seem to have held this colour to be proper for rites of peculiar sanctity. Ovid, Fast. iv. 339, Illic purpurea canus cum veste Sacerdos Almonis dominam sacraque lavit aquis.' Aelian observes (Var. Hist. vi. 6), that ἔχει ἡ χρόα σεμνότητός τι. It is still seen in academic robes and cardinals' hats. 983. προβᾶτε, ‘march on, i.e. start the procession. So I have edited for τιμᾶτε, and T, μ and ß being often confused, and προβαίνειν being a technical word in this sense, e. g. Ar. Ach. 257. Vesp. 230. Hermann contends that some verses must have been lost here. (1) Because there is an abruptness in this imperative, and (2) a want of connexion in the context. (3) There is no mention of men, young and old, as sup. 818. (4) Pallas must have assigned to the Erinyes the distinctive title of Εὐμενίδες, from which the play took its name, and which ὅπως ἂν εὔφρων ἥδ' ὁμιλία χθονὸς τὸ λοιπὸν εὐάνδροισι συμφοραῖς πρέπῃ. ΠΡΟΠΟΜΠΟΙ. βᾶτε † δόμῳ, μεγάλαι φιλότιμοι Νυκτὸς παῖδες ἄπαιδες ὑπ ̓ εὔφρονι πομπᾷ, (εὐφαμεῖτε δὲ, χωρῖται,) γᾶς ὑπὸ κεύθεσιν ὠγυγίοισιν τιμαῖς καὶ θυσίαισιν †ὑπαὶ πυρισέπτοι, the author of the Greek argument and 985. πρέπῃ κ.τ.λ., ' may henceforth be noted for (causing) circumstances favour. able to the life of men.' Cf. v. 916. 986. βᾶτε δόμῳ. The MSS. give ἐν δόμῳ, corrected by Wellauer. The usual construction would be δόμον. But if the poet wrote thus, how are we to account for the corruption ? The dative however 985 (1030) στρ. ά. (1035) ἀντ. ά. 990 στρ. β'. (1040) is not easily defended. Perhaps, βᾶτε δόμους, οι βᾶτε δ ̓ ὁμοῦ, οι βᾶτ ̓ ἐν ὁδῷ. 987. παῖδες ἄπαιδες. Mr. Drake (with Dr. Donaldson) omits the epithet, and thinks τύχᾳ τε a mere metrical addition in 990. Mr. J. B. Mayor is of the same opinion. They may be right; but παῖδες ἄπαιδες, which Mr. Drake thinks can neither mean 'old' nor childless,' may be defended by vaes ἄναες, Pers. 676, children who are no children, εὔφρονι, the correction of L. Dindorf for εὐθύ. φρονι.-χωρῖται Herm. for χωρεῖτε. 3ο χωρίτης δράκων, frag. 114. χωρίτης ὄφις, Soph. frag. 219. 989. ὠγυγίοισιν. ‘Dark; probably connected with the Celtic ogof, a gloomy cave. The 'goaf' in a coal mine, and the word 'fogou,' a cave, in the Cornish dialect, seem to belong to the same root. Hence lost in the mists of antiquity, as πόλιν ὠγυγίαν, Theb. 310. 990. ὑπαί. This seems a plausible correction for the corrupt τύχα τε, the MSS. having καὶ τιμαῖς καὶ θυσίαις περισέπται τύχα τε The true reading is however doubtful. Herm. bas περίσεπτα τυχοῦ. σαι, Linwood τύχαις τ ̓ ἐρίσεπται, Franz, H. L. Ahrens, and Scholefield, περίσεπτα τύχοιτε, Weil τύχαι περίσεπται, i. e. ‘your fortune is an honoured one in the dark caves of earth, by offerings and sacrifices.' If θυσίαισιν ὑπαὶ was wrongly written θυσίαισι τύχαι, the rest would follow almost as a matter of course. 992. ἵλαοι. The first two syllables appear to be long. In these epithets, as in εὔφρων, ν. 984, there is again an allusion to the new appellation of Εὐμενίδες. Linwood proposes εὔφρονες ἀεὶ, Meineke εὔφρονες αἴα. |