Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae

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ἦν with plur. subj.: the so-called schema Pindaricum: Theog. 825 “ἦν ἑκατὸν κεφαλαί” (cp. ib. 321): Pind. fr. 75. 15 “τότε βάλλεται τότ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀμβρόταν χθόν᾽ ἐραταὶ” | “ἴων φόβαι”: Eur. Ion1146“ἐνῆν δ᾽ ὑφανταὶ γράμμασιν τοιαίδ᾽ ὑφαί”. In this constr., the sing. verb always precedes the plur. subject. ‘As the sing. is the general and the plur. the particular, we have not so much a want of concord as an afterthought’ (Gildersleeve, Introd. to Pindar, p. lxxxviii.). The genuine examples in Pindar are not numerous.

ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες. Ancient writers mention the “κλῖμαξ” as a wrestling trick, but do not explain it (Hesych. s. v. “κλίμακες”: Pollux 3. 155). The schol. here had evidently no clear notion of it: “κλίμακες: αἱ ἐπαναβάσεις” (a literal paraphrase) “παρὰ τὸ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω αὐτοὺς στρέφεσθαι ἐν τῇ μάχῃ”. Hermann explains it thus;—the wrestler turns his adversary round, seizes him from behind, and springs on his back, so as to force him down. He relies on Ov. Met.9. 50—54, where Heracles shakes off the embrace of Acheloüs, and then, with a strong push from his hand, “protinus avertit, tergoque onerosus inhaesit.” For the view that this is the “κλῖμαξ” see Appendix. The Acheloüs of Ovid, it should be remembered, is at that moment the horned man, not yet the bull (cp. n. on 507 f.).

At any rate “κλιμακίζω” was a familiar term in Greek wrestling: cp. Plato comicus “Πρέσβεις” fr. 2 “χαίρεις, οἶμαι, μεταπεττεύσας αὐτὸν διακλιμακίσας τε” (explained by Hesych. as “διαπαλαίσας”). For a like use of wrestling terms, cp. Ar. Eq.262 f. —One of the subjects on the archaic throne of Apollo at Amyclae was “ἡ πρὸς Ἀχελῷον Ἡρακλέους πάλη” ( Paus.3. 18. 5).