μὴ ᾿πίτασσ᾽ ἃ μὴ κρατεῖς, do not give orders in matters where you are not master. “ἃ” is not for “ὧν”, but is cogn. accus. (or acc. of respect), as O. T. 1522 “πάντα μὴ βούλου κρατεῖν: ι καὶ γὰρ ἁκράτησας”. For the gen. in a like sense cp. Her. 9.16 “ἐχθίστη...ὀδύνη..., πολλὰ φρονέοντα μηδενὸς κρατέειν”, to have many presentiments, and power over nothing. Ant. 664 “τοὐπιτάσσειν τοῖς κρατύνουσιν”, to dictate to one's masters. Theocr. 15. 90 “πασάμενος ἐπίτασσε” (wait till you are our master before you give us orders).
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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