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ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀν. γονάν, having their origin from an unhappily-married mother. The epithet is made to agree with γονάν, not with ματρός, as in 793, “νεῖκοσ-ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον”: i.e., “μητρὸσγονή”, mother-source, forms one notion. For “γονὰς ἔχειν” cp. O. C. 972ὃς οὔτε βλάστας πω γενεθλίους πατρός, οὐ μητρὸς εἶχον”. For ἀνύμφ., cp. Tr. 144ἄλοχοι μέλεαι...καὶ δύσνυμφοι”: Hipp. 757κακονυμφοτάταν ὄνασιν” (‘to bless her with a marriage most unblest’). O. T. 1214ἄγαμον γάμον”.—The comma should not be placed after ματρός, which is inseparable from the following phrase. Without “ματρός”, the words “ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν” could still mean, ‘born from one who was unhappily married,’ but would be harsh and obscure. The word πάθαν refers to their own fate. Then ματρὸςγονάν supplements this by indicating that they mourn for their mother's fate also.


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hide References (4 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (4):
    • Euripides, Hippolytus, 757
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 972
    • Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, 1214
    • Sophocles, Trachiniae, 144
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