Ζεὺς ἀγώνιος, the supreme arbiter in all trials of strength,—as at Argos he was “σθένιος” (Paus. 2. 32 § 7). So Hermes is “ἀγώνιος” ( Pind. I.1. 60 etc.), as patron of the palaestra. The “ἀγώνιοι θεοί” of Aesch. Suppl. 189, besides these two, are Apollo and Poseidon,—who presided respectively over the Pythian and Isthmian “ἀγῶνες”, as Zeus over the Olympian and Nemean: see ib. 182—194, and Prof. Tucker's note on v. 163 (=189 Dind.). 27 f. The tone of εἰ δὴ is sceptical, as that of “εἴπερ” is usu. confident: cp. Eur. Or.17(quoted by Schneidewin), “ὁ κλεινός, εἰ δὴ κλεινός, Ἀγαμέμνων”. The pause after the second foot suits the pensive stress on “εἰ δὴ καλῶς”: cp. Soph. Ant.658“ἀλλὰ κτενῶ. πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἐφυμνείτω Δία”, etc.— λέχος, nom., in the sense of ‘bride’ (cp. 360, and Ai.211). The accus. in Ai.491, “τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον” (‘came into thy bed’), is warranted by the verb of motion, as in Soph. Ph.817, “ἡ δὲ σύναιμον λέχος ἦλθεν”. But “λέχος ξυστᾶσά τινι” could not well mean ‘joined to him in marriage’ (as though “λέχος” were a kind of cognate acc.). κριτὸν, chosen by himself (cp. 245), is also best suited to “λέχος” as= ‘bride.’ For “ξυστᾶς᾿” cp. Isocr. Ep. 4 § 8, “ἐπειδὴ ξυνέστηκέ μοι” (‘since he has been associated with me’).
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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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