1751-1779: Closing episode
θρῆνον, not
θρήνων, is clearly right. The 2nd per.
sing. imper.,
παῦε, is the only part of “
παύω” which is used intransitively by the classical Attic writers,—being, in fact, an exclamation (like our “
"stop!"”), though sometimes joined with a gen. (“
παῦε τοῦ λόγου”,
Aristoph. Ran. 580). No weight can be given to the fact that L has
θρήνων here, since it has it also in 1778 (see cr. n.).
ξύν᾽ ἀπόκειται for the MS.
ξυ^ναπόκειται is (I think) right. The literal sense is:—
ἐν οἷς γὰρ “
"for in a case where"” (
neut. pl.),
χάρις ἡ χθονία "the kindness shown by the “
χθόνιοι,”"
ξύν᾽ ἀπόκειται "is stored up as a common benefit" (“
ξυνά”, neut. pl. as adv.),—common, namely, to Oedipus and the Athenians. That is:—“
"By the death of Oedipus, the Powers below have given him the everlasting rest which he desired, and us the abiding safeguard which he promised"” (
i.e. his grave). To mourn here would be to provoke the deities who have ordered all things well for him and for us.—
ἀπόκειται, is laid up in store: cp.
[Dem.] or. 23 § 42 “
τὸ τῆς συγγνώμης ὠφέλιμον...ὅτῳ ποτὲ τῶν πάντων ἀπόκειται ἄδηλον ὄν”, it being uncertain for whom the benefit of compassion
is laid up,—
i.e., who may need to draw upon it.
Dem. or. 18 § 198 “
ὅτῳ τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀτυχήματα ἐνευδοκιμεῖν ἀπέκειτο”, “
"a man to whom the disasters of his countrymen were a fund of material for self-glorification."” In the literal sense,
Xen. Anab. 2.3.15 “
αὐταὶ δὲ αἱ βάλανοι τῶν φοινίκων, οἵας μὲν ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τοῖς οἰκέταις ἀπέκειντο, αἱ δὲ τοῖς δεσπόταις ἀποκείμεναι ἦσαν”.
For
ξυνά (adv.) cp.
Ant. 546 “
μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά”,
along with me:
Ai. 577 “
τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα τεύχη κοίν᾽ ἐμοὶ τεθάψεται”.—The schol. found the passage “
ἀσαφές”, but saw part of the general sense: “
νέμεσις γάρ ἐστι τοῦτον θρηνεῖν ᾧ τὰ τῆς τελευτῆς κατὰ χάριν ἀπέβη”. See Appendix.
