Νυκτός παλαιαὶ παῖδες, αἷς οὐ μίγνυται βιβῶντ ̓ ἂν ἀεὶ τὴν πλανοστιβῆ χθόνα, αν ὑπέρ τε πόντον, καὶ περιῤῥύτας πόλεις. Here Æsch., after the first line, falls 69. Νυκτὸς, Valck., who rightly con siders γραῖαι a gloss. 72. Τάρταρόν θ τε epexegetic "namely Tartarus." 75. καὶ "etiam." = Pal. 76. βιβῶντ ̓ ἂν ἀεί. This is the MSS. reading (except βιβῶντ' for βεβῶντ), and I certainly think it better than Hermann's βιβῶντ ̓ ἀν' ἀεὶ τὴν πλ., making avà a preposition, separated from its case: or than Paley's ἀνατὶ, which is tame and unnatural. *Av with the present partic. gives the sense of " ready, likely to." Here ἐλῶσί σε βιβῶντ ̓ ἂν = βιβαίης ἂν, εἴ σ' ἐλαύνοιεν. Comp. Soph. d. Col. 761, ὦ πάντα τολμῶν κἀπὸ παντὸς ἂν φέρων Λόγου 70 75 80 δικαίου μηχάνημα ποικίλον. Here av φέρων = ὃς φέροις ἂν, " who are likely to take." See for other examples Matth. Gr. Gr. § 598 b. 77. πόλεις—“ islands:” for the sea is to an island what its walls are to a city. Ion, 1583, Κυκλάδας νησαίας πόλεις. 78. βουκολούμενος, literally "grazing on,” as απολούμεναι, ν. 187: hence "brooding over." See Peile on Agam. 650, ἐβουκολοῦμεν φροντίσιν νέον πάθος: and comp. Theoc. Id. xi. 80. In these passages the notion of “soothing” is prominent. So Shakesp. As you like it, iv. 3, Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy." 66 79. ποτὶ πτόλιν, a Homeric form. 84. ἔπεισα. The stress falls on this word, as Linwood rightly observes, otherwise we should expect ἐγώ. Trans ΟΡΕΣΤΗΣ. ἄναξ Απολλον, οἶσθα μὲν τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν· 85 ἐπεὶ δ ̓ ἐπίστᾳ, καὶ τὸ μὴ 'μελεῖν μάθε. σθένος δὲ ποιεῖν εὖ φερέγγυον τὸ σόν. ΑΠ. μέμνησο, μὴ φόβος σε νικάτω φρένας. σὺ δ', αὐτάδελφον αἷμα καὶ κοινοῦ πατρὸς, ΚΛΥΤΑΙΜΝΗΣΤΡΑΣ ΕΙΔΩΛΟΝ. εὔδοιτ ̓ ἂν, ὠὴ, καὶ καθευδουσῶν τί δεῖ; late, “ Non per te ipsum, sed alio (me) 85, 86. The sense of these lines is, “Since you know what justice is, exercise it in my case without any neglect or remissness: for your power is competent to serve me.”—Join ποιεῖν εὖ. 90. ἐπώνυμος, “ true to your name,” opposite to ψευδώνυμος. Sept. c. Th. 8, Ζεὺς ἀλεξητήριος Ἐπώνυμος γένοιτο. Choeph.288, μήτηρ οὐδαμῶς ἐπώνυμον φρόνημα πεταμένη, “ whose temper is inconsistent with the name of Mother." 90 95 σέβας to the Protector Hermes, than to the protected ἱκέται, as the next line, 93, clearly points to Hermes' office: "Zeus respects this lawful privilege of thine, proceeding to mortals with the blessing of good speed.” 95. ἐγὼ—ἀπητιμασμένη. This is not exactly a nomin. pendens. For the words ὡς μὲν ἔκτανον to ἐκλείπεται are partly parenthetical; and the apod. αἰσχρῶς ἀλῶμαι applies equally to both the other two clauses of the sentence. Translate, "In this wise am I utterly neglected by you; whilst amongst the rest of the Departed-that I was a murderess is a reproach that forsakes me not even in the grave-for in disgrace do I wander." The word de serves to connect the parenth. with the main sentence. ὄνειδος ἐν φθιτοῖσιν οὐκ ἐκλείπεται, παθοῦσα δ ̓ οὕτω δεινὰ πρὸς τῶν φιλτάτων, 100. παθοῦσα—μηνίεται. This Anacoluthon was probably occasioned by the fact, that there was no single verb which Eschylus could make agree with ἐγὼ παθοῦσα expressing, “I am not avenged by the wrath of any Deity;" he was therefore obliged to change the construction. 103. The common way of reading this line is, ὅρα δὲ πληγὰς τάσδε καρδίας σέθεν. "Be conscious of these reproaches with which I sting your heart.” But πληγὰς καρδίας will scarcely bear this sense. It is better to suppose that Clytemnestra points to her own still gaping wounds. I have adopted Pauw's reading, ὁρᾷ καρδία σέθεν, which harmonizes better with the following verses, "Your hearts, I know, see these wounds of mine, FOR in sleep the mind's eye brightens; in daylight 'tis not the province of mor 100 105 110 tals to foresee."-Vv. 104, 105, convey a general statement. 105. ἀπροσκόπος, active; ἀπρόσκοπος, pass. " Destiny is unforeseen of mortals;” the sense is unaltered. Comp. Choeph. 285, λαμπρὸν ἐν σκότῳ νωμῶντ ̓ ὀφρύν, and Shelley, Marianne's Dream : "A pale dream came to a lady fair, I know the secrets of the air, 106. θυσιῶν. τῶν ἐμῶν—sub. δωρεῶν or 107. νηφάλια (νήφω), prop. “ sober, abstemious,” hence “pure, unmixed with wine." See Introd. § 46. 109. ὥραν, “ Insolentior Accusativus,” Paley : = καθ ̓ ὥραν. So Acharn. 23, ἀωρίαν ἥκοντες κατ' ἀωρίαν. Comp. Elmsley on Bacch. 722. = καὶ ταῦτα κούφως ἐκ μέσων ἀρκυστάτων ἀκούσαθ ̓ ὡς ἔλεξα τῆς ἐμῆς περὶ ψυχῆς φρονήσατ ̓, ὦ κατὰ χθονὸς θεαί. 115 ΧΟΡΟΣ. (Μυγμός.) ΚΛ. μύζοιτ' ἂν, ἀνὴρ δ' οἴχεται φεύγων πρόσω φίλοις γάρ εἰσιν οὐκ ἐμοῖς προσίκτορες. ΧΟ. (Μυγμός.) ΚΛ. ἄγαν ὑπνώσσεις, κοὐ κατοικτίζεις πάθος. φονεὺς δ' Ορέστης τῆσδε μητρὸς οἴχεται. ΧΟ. (Ωγμός.) ΚΛ. ὤζεις ; ὑπνώσσεις; οὐκ ἀναστήσει τάχος ; 112 καὶ ταῦτα, Lat. “ idque” (“ and that too" liter.); hence, "Aye, he hath bounded even from the very centre of the toils,” &c. 113. The proper sense of ἄλλος is " squinting:” ἐγκατιλλώψας = χλευάσας; what Shakspere calls " contemning with mowes," Cymbel. i. 7. 114. ἀκούσαθ ̓ ὡς ψυχῆς. Translate, "Hear how I have pleaded to you as if for my life." "Respicitur notissima locutio περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγών,” Paley. Comp. Phoen. 1333; Orest. 847. “ De capitali meo periculo loquor,” Herm. 115. φρονήσατε, “ Recipite mentes,” i.e. “ Be yourselves,” as φρονοῦσα, ν. 941, is "Restored to your senses." 116. ŏvap. Not the nomin., which is more usual in Homer than Attic writers ; but = κατ ̓ ὄναρ, “ in a dream :” а 120 a sort of adverbial usage : ὕπαρ is often found thus, and ὄναρ καὶ ὕπαρ, “ sleeping and waking.” Observe that the κατὰ is never expressed. Comp. v. 126. 118. φίλοις γὰρ—προσίκτορες. Herm. reads φίλοις γάρ εἰσιν, οὐκ ἐμοὶ, προσίκτυρες : 'my relations (i.e. Orestes) have found protectors; I have not." If the MS. reading be retained, translate, "There are patrons to harbour those who have now become dear to their patrons, no longer dear (as by birth Orestes naturally was) to me.” φίλος 'dear-ling, darling." The plurals are used because the matter is darkly hinted at, not openly expressed, as in Choeph. 35.—προσίκτωρ applied to the protecting God, as ἀφίκτωρ, Suppl. 1, ἵκτωρ, 479, applied to the suppliant, Eum. 433. The word προστρόπαιος has the same double sense. = τί σοι πέπρακται πρᾶγμα πλὴν τεύχειν κακά; ΚΛ. ὕπνος πόνος τε, κύριοι ξυνωμόται, ΧΟ. (Μυγμός διπλοῦς, ὀξύς.) λάβε, λάβε, λάβε, λάβε, φράζου. ΚΛ. ὄναρ διώκεις θῆρα, κλαγγαίνεις δ ̓ ἅπερ κύων μέριμναν οὔποτ ̓ ἐκλιπὼν πόνου. τί δρᾷς ; ἀνίστω, μή σε νικάτω πόνος, μηδ' ἀγνοήσῃς πῆμα μαλθαχθεῖσ ̓ ὕπνῳ. ἄλγησον ἧπαρ ἐνδίκοις ὀνείδεσιν τοῖς σώφροσιν γὰρ ἀντίκεντρα γίγνεται. σὺ δ' αἱματηρὸν πνεῦμ ̓ ἐπουρίσασα τῷ, ἀτμῷ κατισχναίνουσα, νηδύος πυρὶ, ὅπου, μάραινε δευτέροις διώγμασιν. ΧΟΡΑΓΟΣ. ἔγειρ ̓, ἔγειρε καὶ σὺ τήνδ', ἐγὼ δὲ σέ. 122. τί σοι-κακά; “What have you ever accomplished, except it be to work mischief?" This may be either a reproach in general terms against the Furies' office, or it may mean, "and therefore you should show your talents now, against Orestes." So the Schol. τί οὖν μέλλεις τὸ σὸν ἀνύειν ; 124. εξεκήραναν, " sapped,” lit. “disheartened,” fr. κῆρ.—κύριοι ξυνωμόται, "puissant confederates." 125. φράξου, “ take heed.” For the reading of this verse, see Intr. § 7, note. 127. μέριμναν πόνου, “his careful toil." 125 130 135 130. ονείδεσιν, sub. ἐμοῖς, which is omitted because the next line generalizes the particular case. 131. ἀντίκεντρα, “ keen as a scourge,” ἂς ἀντίπαις, “ weak as a child.” 132. τῷ for τούτῳ, “ against him” (Orestes). Hermann's alterations seem unnecessary here. 135. It is chiefly on this verse that Blomfield founds his strange theory, that the Chorus consisted of only three Furies. (Præfat. ad Persas, p. 20.) But see v. 555. 137. ἰδώμεθ', Anacoluthon after απολακτίσασα. It is not easy to make out |