κρατὶ: locative dat., "on her head," rather than dat. of interest with “ἡλιοστερὴς”, "for her head." The ἡλιοστερής of the MSS. is a very strange word. It ought to mean "deprived of the sun": cp. “βιοστερής” 747, “ὀμματοστερής” 1260. Even with an active sense, "depriving of the sun," it is awkward. It could not mean "sun-averting." In Aesch. Suppl. 1063 “Ζεὺς...ἀποστεροίη γάμον” is not, "may he avert from us," but "may he take away (from our foes)": Hartung would read “ἀποστρέφοι μοι”. (1) ἡλιοσκεπὴς (Nauck) is supported by Il. 16.224 “χλαινάων ἀνεμοσκεπέων”, and (2) ἡλιοστεγὴς (Coraes) by the use of “στέγω” as “"to keep out."” The latter seems most applicable to rain: cp. Pind. P. 4. 81 “ἀμφὶ δὲ παρδαλέᾳ στέγετο φρίσσοντας ὄμβρους”, Anthol. P. 6. 90 “πῖλον...ὑδασιστεγῆ”: the former, to heat, cold, or wind: cp. Anthol. P. 6. 335, on a “καυσία” (a broad-brimmed felt hat, used in Macedonia—from “καῦσις”), “καὶ σκέπας ἐν νιφετῷ, καὶ κόρυς ἐν πολέμῳ.” Θεσσαλὶς κυνῆ, a form of the Thessalian πέτασος, a felt hat (somewhat like our "wide-awake") with brim, worn esp. by travellers: cp. schol. on Aristoph. Av. 1203 (where Iris enters with a “κυνῆ”), “κυνῆ δέ, ὅτι ἔχει περικεφαλαίαν τὸ πέτασον”. In the Inachus Soph. made Iris wear an “Ἀρκὰς κυνῆ” (fr. 251).
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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