οὐκ ἔξεδρος: for they have now learned that he has a permanent dwelling here (cp. 153). μολπὰν … ἔχων, engaged in it; cp. Od. 24. 515“ἀρετῆς πέρι δῆριν ἔχοντες.” σύριγγος: cp. Il. 18. 525(on the shield) “δύω θ᾽ ἅμ᾽ ἕποντο νομῆες”, | “τερπόμενοι σύριγξι”. Plat. Rep. 399D “λύρα δή σοι...καὶ κιθάρα λείπεται, καὶ κατὰ πόλιν χρήσιμα: καὶ αὖ κατ᾽ ἀγροὺς τοῖς νομεῦσι σύριγξ ἂν εἴη”:—a good illustration of “ἀγροβότας” here. Theocr. 7. 27 “φαντὶ τὺ πάντες” | “συρικτὰν ἔμεναι μέγ᾽ ὑπείροχον ἔν τε νομεῦσιν” | “ἔν τ᾽ ἀμητήρεσσι”. Cp. “ἄλυρος, ἀφόρμικτος, ἀκίθαρις, ἄχορος”, as epithets of wailing, etc. ( Soph. O. C. 1223 n.). ποιμὰν, not “ποιμὴν”, is surely required here, where “μολπὰν” precedes and “ἀγροβότας, ἀνάγκας, ἰωάν” follow. Cp. O. C. 132, where L has “τᾶς εὐφήμου. ” ἀγροβότας, ἐν ἀγρῷ βόσκων: cp. O. T. 1103“πλάκες ἀγρόνομοι”, n. Philoctetes is returning from wild places to his dwelling. This suggests the contrast with a shepherd who, playing his pipe, comes cheerily home from the ‘otia dia pastorum.’
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part IV: The Philoctetes. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1932.
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