[423] ἀμφ᾽ ἐμοί. Eustath. gives as alternative interpretations “ἢ δἰ ἐμὲ ἢ ἐπ᾽ ἐμοί”. The former rendering may have been suggested by the notion that Cassandra was not present at the banquet.
But there is no difficulty in supposing that she came in with Agamemnon, and sate at his side: her hated presence adding a sting of jealousy to the bitterness of Clytaemnestra against Agamemnon. Translate then, ‘close by me,’ ‘along side,’ comparing “ἤριπε δ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ αὐτῷ” Il.4. 493, “εἰνάνυχες δέ μοι ἀμφ᾽ αὐτῷ παρὰ νύκτας ἴαυον” Il.9. 470.Or we may give a yet more graphic touch by rendering ἀμφ᾽ ἐμοί ‘as she clung about me,’ on the analogy of such phrases as “ἀμφί τινι χύμενος”. The next words are commonly translated, ‘but I, on the ground, raising my hands, tried to throw them round my sword [hilt], as I was dying,’ with which we may compare Od.21. 433“ἀμφὶ δὲ χεῖρα φίλην βάλεν ἔγχεϊ”. But “χεῖρα βαλεῖν” is a very different picture from that suggested by χεῖρας βαλεῖν, so that perhaps φάσγανον may be the sword of Aegisthus which Agamemnon clutches at in his dying agony, trying to do what the Cyclops did with the brand—“ὁ μοχλὸν” “ἐξέρυσ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῦ . . τὸν μὲν ἔπειτ᾽ ἔρριψεν ἀπὸ ἕο χερσὶν ἀλύων” Od.9. 396.This still leaves ποτὶ γαίῃ as an awkward expression by itself.Seiler quotes (from Königinhoff, Crit. et Exeg. p. xx.) the following good résumé of the ‘situation:’ ‘Quum Cassandra haud procul ab Agamemnone interficeretur, hic manus tollit, ut quantum possit concubinam tueatur, vel potius ut pro hac [?] coniugi supplicet. Sed quum gladio transfixus viribusque exhaustus esset, manus eius humi cadunt, et paullo post ipse animam efflat. Vecors autem Clytaemnestra maritum nihil curans aversa secessit.’ We shall thus have “ποτὶ γαίῃ [χεῖρας] βάλλον” brought close together, and χεῖρας ἀείρων placed in connection with the phrase; while ἀποθνήσκων is joined directly, as the rhythm suggests, with φασγάνῳ. Translate, ‘but I, as I raised my hands, dropped them again to the ground, [as I lay] dying with the sword through me.’ With βάλλειν ποτὶ γαίῃ cp. Od.2. 80; 5.415; 7.279. With ἀποθνήσκων περὶ φασγάνῳ cp. Il.8. 86, of the wounded horse, “κυλινδόμενος περὶ χαλκῷ”, Il.13. 570“ἤσπαιρε περὶ δουρί”, Il.21. 577“περὶ δουρὶ πεπαρμένη”, Il.23. 30“ὀρέχθεον ἀμφὶ σιδήρῳ σφαζόμενοι”. See also Soph. Aj.899“φασγάνῳ περιπτυχής”, cp. ib. 828. With χεῖρας ἀείρων as a supplicatory gesture we may compare Hom. Od.9. 294“ἀνεσχέθομεν Διὶ χεῖρας”, and similar uses with “ἀνατείνειν, ἀναφέρειν”. That some sort of prayer is here intended seems to be decided by the following words, “ἡ δὲ κυνῶπις νοσφίσατο”, i. e. ‘turned away’ ( Hom. Od.23. 98) and would not listen.
