Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae

Εὔρυτόν θ᾽ ἕλοι τήν θ᾽ ὑψίπ. Οἰχαλίαν: i.e., slew him, and took the town. Just so in Il.11. 328“ἑλέτην δίφρον τε καὶ ἀνέρε” (the men are slain). This is usu. called a case of ‘zeugma’: but it is not really of the same kind as (e.g.) Her.4. 106“ἐσθῆτά τε φορέουσι τῇ Σκυθικῇ ὁμοίην, γλῶσσαν δὲ ἰδίην”: where the verb properly suits the first clause only, and “ἔχουσι” would naturally have been added to the second clause. The poetical use of “ἑλεῖν”, in regard to contests, included the senses, (1) ‘to overcome,’ often connoting ‘to slay’; and (2) ‘to gain by overcoming.’ Cp. Pind. O.1. 88“ἕλεν δ᾽ Οἰνομάου βίαν, παρθένον τε σύνευνον” (overcame the father in a race, and won the daughter). So we can say, ‘they conquered their oppressors,’ and ‘they conquered freedom.’ The difference is that we should not say, in one sentence, ‘they conquered their oppressors, and freedom.’ Schneidewin compares Pind. N.10. 25“ἐκράτησε...στρατὸν”... | “καὶ... στέφανον, Μοίσαισί τ᾽ ἔδωκ᾽ ἀρόσαι”. But there is much probability in Heyne's correction of the MS. “Μοίσαισί τ̓” to “Μοίσαισιν” (with no comma after “στέφανον”).

τὴν ὑψίπυργον: cp. 327 n.

Οἰχαλίαν: for the anapaest, excused by the proper name, cp. 233.