[1341] τὸν μέγ᾽ ὀλέθριον is a certain correction of the MS. τὸν ὀλέθριον μέγαν (or μέγα), a corruption due to the omission and subsequent marginal insertion of μέγα. Cp. Hom. Il. 1.158 “ὦ μέγ᾽ ἀναιδές”: 16. 46 μέγα νήπιος: Soph. Phil. 419 “μέγα ι θάλλοντες.” The antistrophic words are αὐτὸς ἔφυν τάλας (1363). ὀλέθριον, pass., “lost, ” as Soph. Trach. 878 “τάλαιν᾽ ὀλεθρία. τίνι τρόπῳ θανεῖν σφε φής;” The objections to the conject. ὄλεθρον μέγαν(metrically admissible as a dochmiac, if the second of ὄλεθρον is made short) are: (1) the awkward necessity of supplying ὄντα in order to defend the position of μέγαν: (2) the phrase ὄλεθρον, which belongs to the colloquial vocabulary of abuse; Dem. 18.127 “περίτριμμα ἀγορᾶς, ὄλεθρος γραμματεύς.”
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