Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae

καινίζει: schol. “ἔοικέ τι νεώτερον ἔχειν ὁ οἶκος”: the house is experiencing something for the first time,—i.e., is suffering some new calamity. So Aesch. Ag.1071“καίνισον” “ζυγόν”. In Lycophron 530, “καινίσει δόρυ”, a v. l. is “κινήσει”.

869 The MS. reading, ἀήθης, cannot be right. The word means either (1) ‘unusual,’ or (2) ‘unaccustomed’ to a thing. Here it has been taken in the first sense, as meaning, ‘with strange aspect,’ ‘unlike herself,’—i.e., gloomy, instead of cheerful. It seems inconceivable that a classical writer should have so used “ἀήθης”.

The conjecture ἀηδὴς has been generally received; but this presents almost equal difficulties. As applied to persons, it regularly means, ‘disagreeable’; Eth. N. 2. 7 (p. 1108 a 29) “ὁ...ἐν πᾶσιν ἀηδὴς δύσερίς τις καὶ δύσκολος”: Magn. Mor. 2. 3 (p. 1200 a 15) “ὑπερόπτας καὶ ἀηδεῖς”. Here it ought to mean, ‘of sad aspect’; it never occurs, however, in that sense. Hesychius has, indeed, “ἀηδές: στυγνὸν, λυπηρόν”: but this paraphrase of the neuter proves nothing. In O. T.82“ἡδύς” is not ‘joyous-looking,’ but ‘welcome.’

Surely ἀήθης was merely a corruption of ἀ（γ）ηθής, which does not seem to occur, but which is as correct as “εὐγηθής” or “πολυγηθής”.—Cp. Eur. Alc.777“στυγνῷ προσώπῳ καὶ συνωφρυωμένῳ”.