The MS. ἀπεφεύγετον is most simply corrected to ἀπεφύγετον. But then we must either (1) add τί δή, and expand v. 1726, as Bergk and Gleditsch do (cr. n. ad l.): or (2), leaving v. 1726 intact, suppose that vv. 1739, 1740 are spoken by the Chorus without any interpellation by Antigone. This, however, is improbable, and also injurious to the point of v. 1740. Further, with “ἀπεφύγετον”, v. 1740 has a construction which makes the order of the words harsh, viz.: —“"Ye escaped,"” τὸ μὴ τὰ σφῷν πίτνειν κακῶς, “"so that your affairs should not fall out ill"” ( Xen. Anab. 1.3.2 “Κλέαρχος μικρὸν ἀπέφυγε μὴ καταπετρωθῆναι”). I therefore incline to Hermann's ἀπέφυγε ΑΝ. τί; “"Long ago there was an escape"”— “ΑΝ.” “"For what?"” [lit. “"what escaped?"”]— “ΞΗ.” “"For your fortunes, from falling out ill."” The merits of this reading are:—(1) it leaves v. 1725, which seems quite sound, unaltered: (2) by making τὰ σφῷν nom. to ἀπέφυγε, it smooths v. 1740. It may be added that, with ἀπεφύγετον, v. 1740 is somewhat pointless, since the mere allusion in τὰ σφῷν to Creon's attempt is too vague to answer Antigone's τί; ("what did we escape?"). Most “"escapes"” are escapes from “"one's affairs falling out ill."”
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part II: The Oedipus Coloneus. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1899.
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