οἷον, ἢν φράσω “κ.τ.λ.” The choice here seems to lie between two courses. (1) To retain ὑμῖν, but with a comma after it, and to supply from it “ὑμᾶς” as subject to μαθεῖν: ‘such that, if I tell it to you, ye will learn an unexpected marvel.’ Cp. Plut. 349 “ποῖός τις” (sc. “χρησμός”）;—“οἷος”... | “ἢν μὲν κατορθώσωμεν, εὖ πράττειν ἀεί”: where the subject to the inf. is “ἡμᾶς”, supplied from the preceding verb. (2) To read ὑμᾶς (subject to “μαθεῖν”) instead of ὑμῖν, which may well have arisen from φράσω. This course is recommended by the lucid construction, and by the better rhythm. Cp. O. T.1295 f. “θέαμα δ᾽ εἰσόψει τάχα” | “τοιοῦτον οἷον καὶ στυγοῦντ᾽ ἐποικτίσαι”. Others, taking μαθεῖν with θαῦμ᾽ ἀνέλπιστον only, suppose an ellipse of “ἔσται” (or an equiv. word): ‘Such that, if I tell it, (it will be) an unexpected marvel for you to hear.’ But such an ellipse is extremely harsh. Wunder's ἂν φράσαι (with “ἐμέ” understood as subject) is possible, but loses the emphasis prepared by “ἢν φράσω”, and gives an unpleasing rhythm.
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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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