Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Electra

φεῦ δῆτ̓. Electra's cry, “φεῦ”, is drawn from her by the thought that, while Amphiaraüs has honour, her father's spirit is unhonoured. The Chorus suppose her to mean, ‘Alas for Eriphylè's wickedness,’ and respond “φεῦ δῆτ̓”, ‘alas indeed’ (cp. O. C. 536“ΧΟ. ἰώ. ΟΙ. ἰὼ δῆτα”). Then they say, ὀλοὰ γὰρ, ‘for the murderess—’ intending to add, ‘betrayed her husband's life.’ But Electra, still thinking of the difference and not of the likeness between the case of Amphiaraüs and that of Agamemnon, quiokly gives a different turn to the unfinished sentence by interjecting ἐδάμη,—‘was laid low’ (by her son Alcmaeon : see on 846).—For ὀλοὰ (nom. fem.) active in sense, cp. “Μοῖρ᾽ ὀλοή” ( Il. 16. 849, etc.): in Tr. 846“ὀλοὰ στένει” it is neut. pl. (‘despairingly’).

ἐδάμη should be followed by a full stop, as in L; not by a query, as in the Aldine,—a punctuation suggested by “ναί”. Electra is not asking a question; she is rejecting the consolation. The Chorus admit, by their ναί, the fact that Eriphylè was slain, and then Electra points the contrast (“οἶδ᾽ οἶδ̓, κ.τ.λ.”).