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κακοὶ γνώμαισι: cp. 1374γνώμῃ σοφόν.

τἀγαθὸν χεροῖν is better attested than τἀγάθ᾽ ἐν χεροῖν: and in this context the singular “τἀγαθὸν” is preferable. For the dat., cp. El. 431ὧν ἔχεις χεροῖν”, Tr. 265χεροῖν..ἔχων βέλη”.

πρίν τις ἐκβάλῃ=“πρὶν ἐκβάλωσι”: the collective “τις”, as in Thuc. 4. 85§ 6 “οἷς ἂν ἐπίω, ἧσσόν τις ἐμοὶ πρόσεισι, δυσχερὲς ποιούμενοι κ.τ.λ.” From the primary sense of ‘casting out,’ “ἐκβάλλειν” derives that of ‘throwing away,’ ‘losing by one's own folly’: cp. Ar. Eccl. 750οὐ γὰρ τὸν ἐμὸν ἱδρῶτα καὶ φειδωλίαν οὐδὲν πρὸς ἔπος οὕτως ἀνοήτως ἐκβαλῶ”. So a schol. here explains, “πρὶν ἄν τις αὐτοῦ στερηθῇ”. Sophocles has this use, with various shades of meaning, in Soph. Ant. 648(where see n.), Soph. O. T. 611, Soph. O. C. 631.[We could also render, ‘until one strike it out of their hands’; cp. Hom. Od. 2. 396πλάζε δὲ πίνοντας, χειρῶν δ᾽ ἔκβαλλε κύπελλα”. But a reason for preferring the other view is that it represents the loss as due solely to the folly of the possessors themselves; and thus suits the context better.]

For the sentiment, cp. Mimnermus fr. 1 (in Nauck's Frag. Trag. 2nd ed., p. 829) “δεινοὶ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ πάντες ἐσμὲν εὐκλεεῖ ζῶντι φθονῆσαι, κατθανόντα δ᾽ αἰνέσαι”. Plaut. Capt. 1. 2. 39Tum denique homines nostra intelligimus bona, | Quom quae in potestate habuimus ea amisimus.C. 3. 24. 31Virtutem incolumem odimus, | Sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi.


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hide References (10 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (10):
    • Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae, 746
    • Euripides, Electra, 431
    • Homer, Odyssey, 2.396
    • Sophocles, Ajax, 1374
    • Sophocles, Antigone, 648
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 631
    • Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, 611
    • Thucydides, Histories, 4.85
    • Sophocles, Trachiniae, 265
    • Plautus, Captivi, 1.2
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