ὡς κατῴκηνται καλῶς, lit., “"that it has been administered well,"” the perf. here denoting that a good administration is thoroughly established in it (cp. on “τέτροφεν”, 186). The political senses of “κατοικέω” and “κατοικίζω” should be carefully distinguished. (1) “ἡ πόλις καλῶς κατοικεῖται”=the city is dwelt-in on good principles, “"is well administered"”: see Plat. Legg. 683A. (2) “ἡ πόλις καλῶς κατῴκισται”=the city has been established on good principles, “"has a good constitution"”: see Legg. 752 B. In this verse the poetical peculiarity is the use of the perf. where a prose-writer would have said either “κατοικοῦνται” or else “κατῳκισμέναι εἰσί”. Oed. refers to Creon's implied praise of Athenian loyalty (941 ff.), and esp. to his mention of the Areiopagus (947 ff.).
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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