ἢ κατ ἐμὰν ῥώμαν, with “μεῖζον”: O.C. 598 “μεῖζον ἢ κατ᾽ ἄνθρωπον” (n.). σοὶ γὰρ ἑτοίμα, sc. “ῥώμα”, ‘for strength is at thy command,’ ἐς πλέον ἢ δἰ ἐμοῦ σῴζειν, ‘in too large a measure for the saving of him by my means,’ i.e. ‘so largely, that you have no need to save him by my means.’ The MSS. give σοί τε γὰρ ὄμμα | ἔμπλεον ἢ δἰ ἐμοῦ σῴζειν. The correction of “ἔμπλεον” (‘full’) to “ἐς πλέον” is due to Meineke, and is confirmed by the following ἢ with the inf.: cp. O. T.1293“μεῖζον ἢ φέρειν”: Eur. Hec.1107“κρείσσον᾽ ἢ φέρειν κακά”. The MS. words, σοί τε γὰρ ὄμμα, are unquestionably corrupt. This is shown by two things: (1) ὄμμα is incongruous with the context; strength, not keenness of sight, is in question; and, even if it were suitable, it could not be reconciled with any probable emendation of the following words. (2) τε is unmeaning and impossible. I believe that I have found the solution by the slight change of σοί τε γὰρ ὄμμα into σοὶ γὰρ ἑτοίμα. The corruption began by οίμα passing into ὄμμα. How easy this would have been, may be judged from Il.21. 252, “αἰετοῦ οἴματ᾽ ἔχων”, where Philetas read “ὄμματ̓”, as in Il.8. 349, “Γοργοῦς ὄμματ᾽ ἔχων”, Aristarchus read “οἴματ̓”. In the Appendix are given the proposed explanations of the vulgate, and various conjectures.
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part V: The Trachiniae. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1902.
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