ὡς αἰτίαν … ἔχων, as being responsible for,=“ὡς αἴτιος ὤν”. So Aesch. Eum. 579 Apollo, defending the accused Orestes, says, “αἰτίαν δ᾽ ἔχω ι τῆς τοῦδε μητρὸς τοῦ φόνου”, I am responsible for (not, ‘am accused of’) the deed. In this sense of the phrase, “ἔχω ῀ παρέχω”: cp. Thuc. 2.41 “ἀγανάκτησιν ἔχει”, gives cause of resentment; id. 2. 61 “ἔχει αἴσθησιν”, makes itself felt. But in prose “αἰτίαν ἔχω” usu.=‘to bear the blame’ for a thing, i.e. to be held responsible for it: Her. 5.70 “εἶχον αἰτίην τοῦ φόνου τούτου”: Plat. Apol. 38 C “ὄνομα ἕξετε καὶ αἰτίαν...ὡς Σωκράτη ἀπεκτόνατε.” τῶνδε … μόρων, that of Haemon: κἀκείνων, that of Megareus (1303 f.). For the plur., cp. El. 205 “τοὺς ἐμὸς ἴδε πατὴρ ι θανάτους αἰκεῖς.” ἐπεσκήπτου, wast denounced. In Attic law “ἐπισκήπτομαί τινι” (midd.) meant, to take proceedings against a witness for perjury (“ψευδομαρτυριῶν”): Isae. or. 5 § 9 “πρὶν ἐπεξελθεῖν οἶς ἐπεσκήψατο τῶν μαρρύρων”. The rare pass. occurs in Plat. Legg. 937B “ἐὰν δούλη ἐπισκηφθῇ τὰ ψευδῆ μαρτυρῆσαι”.
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part III: The Antigone. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1900.
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