φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν. The ostensible meaning is that they have reached her house, “οῖκον” being understood. Cp. Ai. 607“ἀνύσειν” | ..“Ἅιδαν”: Ant. 804“τὸν παγκοίτην..θάλαμον” | ..“ἀνύτουσαν”. O. C. 1562“ἐξανύσαι” | ..“τὰν”.. | “νεκρῶν πλάκα”. The hidden meaning is, “φίλης προξένου κατήνυσαν φόνον”: they have accomplished her murder. To the ear of the audience, the nature of the ellipse would be plain enough.—This is Whitelaw's view, and I am now satisfied that it is the best. The English rendering given above is borrowed from his verse translation, ‘To the heart of their hostess they have found their way.’ I formerly took the inner meaning to be, “φίλην.. πρόξενον κατήνυσαν” (confecerunt). But this is hardly warranted by (e.g.) Eur. Or. 89“αἷμα γενέθλιον κατήνυσεν”: and the genitive ought to suffice for both meanings.
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part VI: The Electra. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1894.
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