Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone

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In v. 125 f., where the MSS. have “ἀντιπάλῳ...δράκοντι” (with

Emendations.

indications of correction to “ἀντιπάλου...δράκοντος”), I propose with some confidence the simple emendation “ἀντιπάλῳ...δράκοντος”. In v. 606 I give “πάντ᾽ ἀγρεύων” for “παντογήρως”. In 966, “πελάγει” for L's “πελάγεων” (sic). In 1102, “δοκεῖ” for “δοκεῖς”. In 1124, “ῥεῖθρόν τ᾽” for “ῥέεθρον”. In v. 23 f. I had conjectured “δίκης ι χρήσει” as a correction of “δίκη ι χρησθείς” before learning that Gerh. H. Müller had already suggested the same. He had not, however, forestalled my arguments for it. If the admission of it into the text is deemed too bold, it may be submitted that the barbarous character of the traditional reading, and the absence of any emendation which can claim a distinctly higher probability, render the passage one of those in which it is excusable to adopt a provisional remedy.

With regard to “οὐκ ἄτης ἄτερ” in v. 4, I would venture to invite the attention of scholars to the note in the Appendix. My first object has been to bring out what seems the essential point,—viz., that the real difficulty is the palaeographical one,—and to help in defining the conditions which a solution must satisfy before it can claim more than the value of guess-work. By the kind aid of Mr. E. M. Thompson, I have been enabled to give a transcript of the words “οὐκ ἄτης ἄτερ” as they would have been written in an Egyptian papyrus of circ. 250-200 B.C.