κομπεῖν δ̓ “κ.τ.λ.” It will be a disgrace to them, when they go back to Troy, to boast of their task as accomplished, when it will be, in fact, only half done, if they bring the bow without its master. And the discredit of such a result will be aggravated by the deception used towards Philoctetes. The words ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν are closely connected; ‘an incomplete result, combined with falsehood,’ i.e. not only incomplete, but obtained by falsehood. This seems better than to take “σὺν ψεύδεσιν” as merely=“ψευδῶς”, ‘to boast falsely.’—Cp. El. 641“δὺν φθόνῳ”, Ai. 933“οὐλίῳ σὺν πάθει”, O. T. 585“ξὺν φόβοισι”.
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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