ἀψόφητος … κωκυμάτων: cp. O. C. 677“ἀνήνεμον..χειμώνων” (n.).— ὑπεστέναζε, groaned low; cp. El. 79“ὑποστενούσης.” ὀξέων: Ant. 423“πικρᾶς ι ὄρνιθος ὀξὺν φθόγγον.” ταῦρος ὣς βρυχώμενος: Theog. 832 “ταῦρος ἐριβρύχης”. The word expresses deep, sullen tones, such as might come from a bull in pain: it usually implies a sound of anger or anguish, whereas “μυκᾶσθαι” can denote the mere lowing of oxen; hence Nonnus 29. 311 “βρυχηδὸν ἐμυκήσαντο”. The unhappy conjecture βριμώμενος (‘snorting’) was prompted by a supposed inconsistency between “βρυχώμενος” and “ὑπεστέναζε”: but there is no reason why deep tones should not be also muffled.
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part VII: The Ajax. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1907.
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