ὡς ἔχων τε καὶ κεκτημένος. Creon is actually touching (or helping to support) his son's corpse (1258 “διὰ χειρὸς ἔχων”, 1297 “ἔχω μὲν ἐν χείρεσσιν”). And meanwhile his wife lies dead within the house. The Messenger therefore says that Creon has come as one who both has in hand (“ἔχων”), and has in store (“κεκτημένος”). ἔχων is explained by “τὰ μὲν πρὸ χειρῶν..φέρων”, and κεκτημένος by “τὰ δ᾽ ἐν δόμοις”. Cp. Plat. Theaet. 197 B “οὐ τοίνυν μοι ταὐτὸν φαίνεται τῷ κεκτῆσθαι τὸ ἔχειν. οἶον εἰ ἱμάτιον πριάμενός τις καὶ ἐγκρατὴς ὢν μὴ φοροῖ, ἔχειν μὲν οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν αὐτό, κεκτῆσθαι δέ γε φαῖμεν”. So ib. 198 D; the chase after knowledge has a view either to (a) “τὸ κεκτῆσθαι”, possession, or (b) “τὸ ἔχειν”, holding, ready for use, that which is already possessed,—“ἣν ἐκέκτητο μὲν πάλαι, πρόχειρον δ᾽ οὐκ εἶχε τῇ διανοίᾳ”. Cp. Rep. 382 B (men do not like) “τῇ ψυχῇ περὶ τὰ ὄντα ψεύδεσθαί τε καὶ ἐψεῦσθαι καὶ ἀμαθῆ εἶναι καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔχειν τε καὶ κεκτῆσθαι τὸ ψεῦδος”: where “ψεύδεσθαι” answers to “ἔχειν τὸ ψεῦδος”,—to be deceived at a given time on a given matter; and “ἐψεῦσθαι” to “κεκτῆσθαι τὸ ψεῦδος”, —the settled incapacity for apprehending realities. In Crat. 393 A he says that “ἄναξ” and “ἕκτωρ” mean the same thing; “οὗ γὰρ ἄν τις ἄναξ ᾖ, .. δῆλον .. ὅτι κρατεῖ τε αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκτηται καὶ ἔχει αὐτό” (where “ἕκτωρ” has suggested both verbs).— The point of the phrase here is missed when it is taken as merely, ‘possessing sorrows in the fullest sense of possession.’
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part III: The Antigone. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1900.
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