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507-518

: antistrophe to 391—402. The pity expressed by the Chorus may well be sincere; but in this utterance of it, their first aim is to aid their master's design. Verse 510 shows this.

πόνων ἆθλα, ordeals consisting in “πόνοι”, sufferings. Cp. Tr. 505ἄεθλ᾽ ἀγώνων”. The plur. “ἆθλα” can thus be used in the sense of “ἆθλοι”: but the sing. “ἆθλον” does not occur as =“ἆθλος”. In Suppl. 1034 “τόδ᾽ ἆθλον”=‘this prize.’

οἷα, Porson's correction of “ὅσσα”, is probably right. It is the more natural word in such a wish: cp. 275, 315. And “ὅσσα” may have been suggested by “πολλῶν”. An iambic trimeter set in lyrics might, indeed, tolerate “ὅσσος”,—as the corresponding trimeter (392) has the Doric “” for “”. But “ὅσσα” in Aesch. Pers. 864, “τόσσων” in Aesch. Ag. 140, and “τόσσον” in Soph. Ai. 185, seem to be the only instances of these forms in Tragedy. οἷα is clearly better than ἅσσα (=“ἅτινα”): for which cp. O.T. 425 n.—For the acc. “οἷα” with τύχοι, cp. O. T. 1298 n. The conject. λάχοι is unnecessary.


hide References (6 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (6):
    • Aeschylus, Agamemnon, 140
    • Aeschylus, Persians, 864
    • Sophocles, Ajax, 185
    • Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, 1298
    • Sophocles, Philoctetes, 275
    • Sophocles, Trachiniae, 505
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