Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae

ἦ μὴν: Ph.593.

τὸν ἀγχιστῆρα τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους, the man who had brought this calamity near to him,—brought it upon him: since Eurytus, by insulting him, had provoked him to slay Iphitus,—the crime for which this “πάθος” was the penalty. “ἀγχιστήρ”, in this sense, presupposes a trans. “ἀγχίζειν”. That verb does not occur, but would be analogous to “ἐγγίζειν”: and the latter, though usu. intrans., is trans. in Polyb. 8. 6 “ἐγγίσαντες τῇ γῇ τὰς ναῦς”. Compare, too, the phrases of converse form: Il.5. 766“ἥ ἑ μάλιστ᾽ εἴωθε κακῇς ὀδύνῃσι πελάζειν”: Aesch. P. V.155“δεσμοῖς...πελάσας” (“με”).—Others understand :—‘the man most nearly concerned in this calamity.’ This is the general sense intended by the schol.: “τὸν αἴτιον καὶ σχεδὸν αὐτὸν ποιησαντα τοῦ πάθους” (where the words “καὶ... ποιήσαντα” are parenthetical): i.e., ‘the (ultimate) cause, and almost the actual author, of the calamity.’ But, though “ἀγχιστήρ” might naturally mean, ‘nearest kinsman’ (= “ἀγχιστεύς”), it would be strange to say, “ἀγχιστὴρ τοῦ πάθους”, as= ‘the person who had most to do with’ that “πάθος”.

No emendation is probable. Nauck's αὐτόχειρα would be possible only if Eurytus had himself sent Heracles into slavery.