Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus Tyrannus

[886] ἕδη images of gods, whether sitting or standing; but always with the added notion that they are placed in a temple or holy place as objects of worship. Timaeus p. 93 ἕδος: τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἵδρυται: where τόπος prob. denotes the small shrine in which an image might stand. Dion. Hal. 1.47 uses ἕδη to render penates. Liddell and Scott s.v. cite the following as places in which ἕδος ‘may be a temple ’: but in all of them it must mean image. Isoc. 15.2 “Φειδίαν τὸν τὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἕδος ἐργασάμενον,” i.e. the chryselephantine Athena Parthenos; cp. Plut. Per. 13 “ὁ δὲ Φειδίας εἰργάζετο μὲν τῆς θεοῦτὸ χρυσοῦν ἕδος:” Xen. Hell. 1.4.12 “Πλυντήρια ἦγεν ἡ πόλις, τοῦ ἕδους κατακεκαλυμμένου τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς”: i.e. the ἀρχαῖον βρέτας of Athena Polias in the Erechtheum was veiled in sign of mourning （the death of Aglauros being commemorated at the festival of the Plunteria）. Paus. 8.46.2 “φαίνεται δὲ οὐκ ἄρξας ὁ Αὔγουστος ἀναθήματα καὶ ἕδη θεῶν ἀπάγεσθαι παρὰ τῶν κρατηθέντων” （i.e. carry off to Italy）: where ἀναθήματα are dedicated objects generally, ἕδη images worshipped in temples. Is Sophocles glancing here at the mutilators of the Hermae in 415 B.C., and especially at Alcibiades? We can hardly say more than this:—（i） There is no positive probability as to the date of the play which can be set against such a view. （2） The language suits it, -nay, might well suggest it; nor does it matter that the Ἑρμαῖ, though ἀναθήματα （Andoc. 1.34）, were not properly ἕδη. （3） It cannot be assumed that the dramatic art of Sophocles would exclude such a reference. Direct contemporary allusion is, indeed, uncongenial to it. But a light touch like this—especially in a choral ode—might fitly strike a chord of contemporary feeling in unison with the emotion stirred by the drama itself. I do not see how to affirm or to deny that such a suggestion was meant here. （Cp. Soph. OC 1537 n.）