ἆ, in reproof, as O. T. 1147“ἆ, μὴ κόλαζε”: Aesch. Ag. 1087“ἆ, ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἤγαγές με”; the doubled “ἆ ἆ” also occurs in trimeters, as Eur. Or. 1598 “ οπ.ἔσται τάδ̓. ΜΕ. ἆ ἆ, μηδαμῶς δράσῃς τάδε”. μεθῇς is altered to ἀφῇς by Nauck, who thinks that “μέθες” in 1301 caused the error. But two points claim notice. (1) “μεθῇς”, ‘permit to escape from thy hand,’ ‘allow to fly,’ is a more forcible word than “ἀφῇς” (‘discharge’) when, as here, the archer is at the very point of shooting. Cp. O. T. 784“τῷ μεθέντι τὸν λόγον”, ‘who had let that taunt escape him’ (with n. there). Xen. Cyr. 4. 3§ 9 “παλτὰ...οἶς καὶ μεθιέντες καὶ ἔχοντες χρῴμεθ᾽ ἄν” (‘darts which will serve us, whether our hands release or retain them’). (2) It is no objection to “μεθῇς” that “μέθες” in 1301 has a different application. Cp. n. on 762 (“δῆτα”).
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part IV: The Philoctetes. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1932.
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