ὥστ᾽ οὔτε … στεγάζειν. When “ὥστε” is followed by the infin., the negative is ordinarily “μή”. There are, however, many exceptions. Instances strictly like the above are these:— Soph. Ph. 1357“οἶσθ̓: οὐ μακρὰν γὰρ τειχέων περιπτυχαί”, | “ὥστ᾽ οὐχ ἅπαντά σ᾽ εἰδέναι τὰ δρώμενα”: [Dem. ] or. 53 § 1 “οὐδ᾽ αὖ ο<*>τως ἄπορος ἦν ὥστ̓ οὐκ ἂν ἐξευρεῖν”. But most of the examples occur under special conditions: see Appendix. ἐξ ἡμέρας, interdiu. The phrase “ἐκ νυκτῶν”, ‘in the night-watches,’ is frequent ( Od. 12. 286, Theognis 460, Aesch. Ch. 287: [Eur. ] Rhes. 13, 17): cp. also frag. adesp. 7 (Nauck) “πόνῳ πόνον” | “ἐκ νυκτὸς ἀλλάσσουσα τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν.” στεψάζειν, lit. ‘cover,’ i.e. cover the eyes. ὁ προστατῶν χρόνος, lit., ‘the time which stands in front (of the present),’ the ‘imminent’ or ‘coming’ time (schol. “ὁ ἐπιγινόμενος”). From moment to moment she looked for death.—As “προστατεῖν” usu. means ‘to govern’ or ‘to protect,’ some understand, (1) ‘Time standing over me’ like a jailor (Campbell), ‘the tyrannous time’ (Whitelaw): or (2) generally, ‘Time that controls all events.’ διῆγε, kept me living: Dem. or. 18 § 89 “ὁ γὰρ τότε ἐνστὰς πόλεμος...ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀφθονωτέροις...διήγαγεν ὑμᾶς τῆς νῦν εἰρήνης” (‘caused you to live’). 783 f. The perf. ἀπήλλαγμαι, expressing final deliverance, is better here than the aor. “ἀπηλλάγην” (cr. n.). μείζων, worse than the distant Orestes, because “ξύνοικος”.
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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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