ἱδρὼς, showing that the irritant action of the poison has begun.— ἀρτίκολλος, ὥστε τέκτονος, closely glued to his flesh as if by a craftsman: schol. “ὡς ὑπὸ τέκτονος καλῶς συγκεκολλημένος”. The gen. here is not so definitely equivalent to a gen. with “ὑπό” as it is in Ai.807“φωτὸς ἠπατημένη”, or Eur. Or.497“πληγεὶς θυγατρός”. Eur. Itexpresses a similar notion, but in a vaguer form: ‘like something from (the hand of) a “τέκτων”’: ‘like (a work) of his.’ Some supply “κολλήσαντος”: but this seems difficult, and is not warranted by such examples as “ὡς ἐμοῦ μόνης πέλας” (sc. “οὔσης”, Soph. O. C.83). Some have supposed that the “χιτών” is compared to (stone or bronze) drapery on a statue. “τέκτων” could certainly mean a sculptor: Eur. Alc.348“σοφῇ δὲ χειρὶ τεκτόνων τὸ σὸν δέμας” | “εἰκασθέν”. But: (1) There would be little point in comparing a real robe to an imitation in art. (2) Cp. fr. 430. 4, where Pelops is responding, with his eyes, to the glance of Hippodameia, and the discreet limit which the lover's instinct observes is compared to the line traced by a craftsman's rule;—“ἴσον μετρῶν ὀφθαλμόν, ὥστε τέκτονος” | “παρὰ στάθμην ἰόντος ὀρθοῦται κανών”. There, then, as here, the simile is from a mechanical process: the “τέκτων” is suggested there by “ἴσον μετρῶν”, as here by “ἀρτίκολλος”. ἅπαν κατ᾽ ἄρθρον: the robe clings so tight as to show the contour of the body: cp. the Homeric phrase, “ἐντυπὰς ἐν χλαίνῃ κεκαλυμμένος”, explained to mean, “ὥστε διὰ τοῦ ἱματίου τοῦ σώματος τὸν τύπον φαίνεσθαι” ( Il.24. 163, with Leaf's n.). ὀστέων might be joined with ἀντίσπαστος (=“ἀντισπῶν τὰ ὀστᾶ”), but is more simply taken with ἀδαγμός. The latter word means ‘a biting pain’ (rt “δακ”), esp. an ‘itching.’ Photius p. 7 21: “ἀδαγμὸς ὁ ὀδαξησμός, ὅπερ ἐστὶ κνησμός: οὕτω Σοφοκλῆς”. The forms “ὀδάξω” (act. and midd.) and “ἀδαξέω” (do.) seem both to have been in use; the former was perhaps chiefly Ionic.
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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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