Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae

ὦ πόποι: O. T.167 n.

ἀναρσίων, foes: Il.24. 365“δυσμενέες καὶ ἀνάρσιοι”. This worst of woes has come to him from his own home: cp. 1058—1063.

The doubt as to the reading here is confined to the words between πόποι and ἐπέμολε. The traditional text is, “οἷον ἀναρσίων” | “οὔπω ἀγακλειτὸν Ἡρακλέους”. The v. l. “Ἡρακλέα”, found in a few of the later MSS., was apparently prompted by “ἀγακλειτόν”. In the corresponding vv. of the strophe (841 ff.), the MS. text is, “μεγάλαν προσορῶσα δόμοις βλάβαν” | “νέων ἀϊσσόντων γάμων, τὰ μὲν οὔ τι”: where the only doubt affecting metre is between “δόμοις” and “δόμοισι”.

It seems almost certain that Ἡρακλέους was a gloss, and that “τὰ μὲν οὔ τι” in the strophe answered metrically to “ἀγακλειτόν” here. The proposed emendations of this passage are classified in the Appendix. Those which eject “Ἡρακλέους” follow one of two methods. (1) To read δόμοις, not “δόμοισι”, in 842: to insert a long syllable, beginning with a vowel (as “ἐξ”), before “ἀναρσίων”: and to supply something, equal to “˘¯” (as “ποτ᾽ ἄνδῤ”), between “οὔπω” and “ἀγακλειτόν”. (2) To read δόμοισι in 842: and to make such an addition to “οὔπω” as shall metrically balance “ἀϊσσόντων γάμων”. On this plan, I suggest <ὕπ̓> οὔπω <τοῦδε σῶμ̓> ἀγακλειτόν. The prep. goes with “ἀναρσίων”, which, without a prep., would here be somewhat harsh (as=‘from his foes’). “Ἡρακλέους” would have been a gloss on “το<*>ε”. Sophocles is fond of the periphrasis with “σῶμα”, which would be fitting here: cp. 1194, 1210: O. C.355: El.1233.

οἰκτίσαι, epexegetic, ‘for us to pity’ (rather than, ‘for him to lament’): cp. O. C.144“οὐ πάνυ μοίρας εὐδαιμονίσαι πρώτης” (sc. “εἰμί”).